


Side-tracked: One Way or Another

by gomushroom



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-10-12 04:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 43,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10482069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gomushroom/pseuds/gomushroom
Summary: Their (true) goals are to film a cheap show worth their low midnight rating every other week.





	1. Pilot: In Search of the Team Pace

**Author's Note:**

> Here's lengthy slow-paced AU of Arashi in a production of slow-budget local TV travel program. 
> 
> No specific pairings but there are noticeable Jun-centric parts and light Sho/Jun, Aiba/Nino, Sho/Ohno, Nino/Jun. 
> 
> Written during last year Nano, this spiraled out of control and was one of the most frustrating stories I've ever attempted to write. I feel like this hasn't officially ended (since I utterly love this universe) but September is here already. This fic is rather disjointed and sparse. It does have clear beginning and ending, hence the parts numbering but in between and since there are five of them, I enjoyed swerving focus suddenly every other minute I was writing this. So here it is. Arashi, happy 15th ♥!

Jun can feel sweat trickling uncomfortably down the small his back. His pressed white shirt under his light cardigan is already unpleasantly damp. He fans himself with his script pages harder in front of his now-open collar and keeps his bubbling urge of complaints to himself. They haven’t even prepared proper umbrellas for him, a true mishap of Aiba in this case—somehow it’s easier to lay the blame on the man since Nino has his own but he didn’t get any—but Jun has decided that he would not say anything about anything today. He is going to go along with whatever the man directs him to be done today and that would be the end of this long torturous day. If he calculated correctly, they are going to be out in this heat for another three hours, perhaps four, fully knowing that Aiba is going to go for the utmost result even at the expense of them all roasting under the blistering sun.

“Ice water?”

Jun turns and finds Sho standing next to him and offering a bottle. He smile encouragingly even under the heat, joining him under the abandoned lifeguard post. The man has stripped most of his proper clothes, this is the beach after all, down to a light white thank top and folded his trousers up to his calves, with his own large bag slung on his shoulder along with Jun’s backpack on his back.

“Thanks.” Jun accepts the bottle, considering his fading lipstick for a while before giving in and gulping down most of the content quickly, they are going to have him do another touch up later. Ice water isn’t actually the right term, the water is barely iced and turning lukewarm under this heat. Jun takes another swig anyway. “Thanks, really. You walked back all the way to the car only to get water?”

“No.” Sho says as he adjusts his bags and plastics and stands next to Jun. “I found a vending machine on the turn of the side path. It’s better to spend some change than killing myself trying to get to the car for some water. I don’t really have that much energy under all this heat.”

“Appreciated.”

“It’s just a bottle of water,” Sho assures him with a hint of annoyance on his soft answer. “It’s the least I can do for messing up the pick-up this morning.”

Jun fans his face and sighs, knowing Sho’d bring up their morning chaos sooner or later and keep on beating himself about his mistake. “I just knew it. You are going to keep on wallowing over that sooner or later, are you? Didn’t we talk about this already and agreed that it was the end of it?”

Sho definitely isn’t in his usual mood today. “I just keep on thinking about it. With all this idling time, there isn’t much you can do but wait.”

“You tell me.” Jun says, setting his bottle and back to concentrate in fanning himself. The heat must intensify now that he has Sho next to him, guilt-ridden and being difficult; he is the one who has the right to be difficult at the moment, considering.

Sho nods beside him—Jun could almost feel the man was trying to talk more about their morning incident; he doesn’t give Sho a chance to start, distracting the mood by humming a song.

They sit in silence for the next ten minutes.

As usual Sho doesn’t interpret silence as idling. He taps rapidly into his phone composing some messages and emails, occasionally reaching inside his large bag to pull out his notebook, reading along the notes, scribbling few lines into his schedule sheet, shoving the notebook back inside the bag, and back to rapidly tapping into his phone.

Sho’s repeated pattern somehow calms Jun, as much as it calms himself; Sho won’t have time to keep being guilty of being 10 minutes late in the morning, suffocated by heat, or proceed to keep himself close and taking care of everything that needs to be taken care of.

Jun shifts his stance, steadily fanning his neck now that sweats have already dripping in droplets into the front of this shirt. The cardigan is clearly causing all the heat he’s suffering right now, no matter how light it is, but he knows that he’ll ruin the costume if he takes it off even for some breeze. It won’t worth the trouble he have to face later when they have to delay more shooting time just because he needs to fix his shirt; he’ll survive the heat and the day, it’s just a little bit longer.

.

Jun can see Ohno walks toward them, carrying his blue bags and some cables. The man is wearing black shirt and for a moment Jun is grateful about his white shirt. The blaring sun causes Ohno to blink confusedly when he reaches their sheltered spot.

“Matsumoto-san,” Ohno bows in greeting, still blinking, squinting his eyes to adjust to the shade. “I’m sorry for the wait. We’ll be ready for you in a few minute.”

Jun nods, as Ohno then stands next to them, still catching his breath.

Sho slips his phone back to his pocket and gives Ohno his full attention. “Water?”

“Huh?”

Sho reaches into his large bag, producing a bottle of water and handing it out to Ohno. “You want cold water? It’s not actually cold anymore but still water?”

“No, thanks.” Ohno replies, hands full with bags and cables, and raises his bags. “I’ve got lukewarm orange juice.”

Shoving the bottle back to his bag in defeat, Sho huffs animatedly in cheerful defeat.

The heat wave hasn’t abated yet he’s so ready to work again, for at least he doesn’t have to stay idle for an indefinite length of minutes anymore. Sometimes this is not about him, Jun reminds himself.

Ohno picks his buzzing phone and answer with a soft hello. He ends the conversation with a nod and a firm yes before looking back to Jun. “We’re ready for you now.”

“Let’s go then.” Jun turns to Sho to snatch his script pages back, fanning himself back with them and lead their way out of their heat shelter.

.

Jun watches Aiba and Nino staying down in front of a surfing shop, hunkering with all seriousness in their own usual conspiratorial discussion.

.

“Matsumoto-san is here,” Ohno announces as they stop behind Aiba and Nino who are still in a lively conversation about the front window and how much light it allows in inside the surfing shop.

Aiba has stripped down to his shorts, revealing a lean body and sunburnt back, red and blotchy; a white small towel wrapped around his neck, dripping wet with sweat with a water bottle on one hand and the crumpled script pages on another. While Nino looks only a bit different from his usual work look, towel already wrapped on his head, light shirt and his worn-out brown-checker shorts.

They turn to Jun to nod their acknowledgment before going back at their discussion for a bit longer. Jun stands waiting, knowing the less distraction he gives, the sooner they can go about to work and finish.

.

No one has a thought of bringing any umbrella. Jun reminds himself to bring his own next week, no one in his right mind should be allowed to work under this blistering heat.

.

“Aiba-kun, how do you want me?”

“Naked and all ready,” Aiba says, absently answering while sipping his drink and catching himself. Nino is giggling at him merrily. “Ah, sorry, Matsumoto. That was a joke.”

Jun has found out that it is completely useless to throw his glare at Aiba. It doesn’t result in anything for his favour. Aiba will apologize profusely, sending Jun to a more annoyed state, while Nino, who most of the time is around whenever Aiba is throwing his bad jokes, cracks up mockingly over Jun’s straight annoyed face, sending Jun to a profound state of annoyance. Either way, Jun has decided the best way is to ignore any of Aiba’s offhand comments, knowing that the man doesn’t mean any harm in the first place, and ignoring Nino’s judging stare, just ignoring Nino. That might be best for them all, they all do have work to deal with; no need to throw an unnecessary fit.

Jun repeats his question. “How do you want me?”

This time Nino answers in all seriousness. “Naked and all ready.”

.

While Ohno and Aiba are busy setting up their next location, Jun stays at the bench watching Sho’s talking on the phone not far from the car. He holds his umbrella tight and stares at the distance; lately, he’s been able to empty his thoughts at time.

Waiting used to be one thing that he hated the most, waiting for uncertain things and not knowing when he will be working. He has learned a lot from his first shooting experience: first thing that one should get used to is waiting. You can wait for only a minute, ten, or even hours before you then go around in front of the frame and do you job. You have a steady mood you need to keep after all.

Aiba seems to be aware of this, Ohno too, but Jun and Sho, they are new in this and while they have adapted as fast as possible, Jun still felt like a newbie around here. At least he’s making a true effort.

Ninomiya takes one look at him before approaching. He’s still holding the small camera and his small bag, offering a small smile before taking a seat beside Jun.

They sit in silence for a while, Jun staring into space, his fingers tapping idly onto his jeans, itching for a cigarette actually, and now with Ninomiya next to him, even more so.

“I too wish we can have a smoking break right now,” Ninomiya says, earning a quick look from Jun. He finds Ninomiya cradling his camera on his lap and mimicking his fingers tap.

Jun lets out an easy chuckle.

Ninomiya has been very harsh at him during the first few episodes, positioning him around and throwing harsh critiques. While Aiba is focused on getting him all checked in delivering all the script-based lines, Ninomiya is very detailed in facial expression: a subtle raised eyebrow, a quirk of lips, a glance of eye, a pull of smile. Ninomiya has easily beaten any of the photographers, strictness-wise, Jun has ever worked with, by far. He’s hard to please, very specific in wanting certain shots; it’s like working with a temperamental photographer, times million fold—Ninomiya didn’t chase a single frame, he chased perfection in sequences, which consists and involves million of frames. Jun is done for.

“Just one more scene, then you’re done for the day,” Nino says. “I won’t keep anything longer than it’s necessary.”

“Today,” Jun says, completing Ninomiya’s sentence; it didn’t seem like complete after all—hanging with unspoken ends.

“Well, true,” Nino says, turning to smile at Jun. He never relaxes until his work done, but today is a long day and it’s far from done. At least they both can take a breather now that they’re able. “I think this last one is going to be an easy one. I shouldn’t be demanding.”

“Like you usually do,” Jun says, again, completing the sentence.

Nino lets out a laugh. “You are very interesting, Jun-kun.”

Jun couldn’t come up with a reply so he just shrugs. Conversation with Ninomiya rarely happens but they seem to share the same interest when they do, or at least they can talk about work without Ninomiya being demanding and terse, and Jun being quiet and accepting.

They fall into a comfortable silence.

Jun can hear Sho’s voice, raising a notch, just like he usually does when he’s talking to the HQ people at this time of day. There’s always something else to do before they can call a day, last minute errands, emergency trip. He sees Nino tapping his fingers in a familiar rhythm as they keep on to themselves.

There’s no sign of Aiba and Ohno so Jun considers his option; he then decide to go for his coffee thermos. “You want coffee?”

Ninomiya turns to him with longing stare; so earnest it almost makes Jun laughs and blushes in return. “You have coffee and are not telling?”

“I always have coffee,” Jun says, waving his thermos, “or else I won’t able to function.”

“Please.”

Jun chuckles, louder this time when he sees Ninomiya’s longing eyes following the movement of his large thermos. He pours half a steamy cup before lets out a surprise gasp when Ninomiya is pulling his shirt open.

“What are you doing?” Jun pauses midway when he is about to close the cap, frowning at the action.

“Camera is expensive and the most important. Shirt is expandable. Simple math,” Nino says as he wraps his small camera with his shirt and setting it down beside his feet. “I want to enjoy this coffee to the fullest, so it’s better to set this cam down, wrapped and safe.”

Jun hands the cup to the awaiting hands of Ninomiya. He can’t help to smile as he sees Nino’s handling the cup as careful as he is when handling their big camera. “It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Yes, oh, yes,” Nino says, cradling the cup gently, breathing the heavenly scent and huffing small puffs over the steam. “Matsumoto, this is…. This is amazing.”

Jun rolls his eyes playfully and watches Ninomiya trying to sip the coffee very slowly with interest. His small hands, usually deftly handling the camera, shake a bit because of heat permeated from the cup and his own excitement. Aside himself, Jun has never seen someone taken coffee seriously, let alone someone who is half-naked in the breezy afternoon.

[add about Jun seeing those protruding bones, and how Nino looks like as soft as a feather. Jun has seen Nino hauling the cameras and those large suitcases, there’s some muscles in there]

“This is fucking amazing,” Ninomiya says, repeating his previous praise with emphasis. The first sips have given him a kick, now he’s slowly taking smaller ones and taking his time with it. He turns to Jun, who’s still watching him with amusement. “Thank you.”

“You should’ve said you wanted some coffee,” Jun says, feeling closer now to Nino, more familiar. They’ve shared coffee after all. “It’s better than shouting at people and being cranky.”

Jun is half-expecting Nino to settle back to his curt self and is pleasantly surprised when he hears Nino laughing out loud, eyes crinkled and mouth open, shaking the cup on his hold but not too much.

“You should’ve said so then,” Nino says, his laugh died down slowly but the sparkles in his eyes remain.

“I’m sorry,” Jun says.

“Don’t be. Don’t ever be sorry for something that’s not your fault. Especially during coffee time.” Nino takes another sip, his gaze intently fixes on Jun. “Say, do you mind if I’m giving you a piece of advice in exchange of this amazing coffee?”

“Advice?” Jun certainly doesn’t expect such offer. “Of course. Is there something I can improve during the shoot?”

“You are doing great in the shoot,” Nino says, eyes straight to Jun’s, “if you’re not being too conscious about yourself or the whole thing.”

“Conscious?”

“Ever heard a saying: just be yourself?” Nino waits till Jun nods in confusion. “Just be yourself, Jun-kun, yourself.”

“But I am.”

“You’re not,” Nino cuts him. “You’re too busy thinking about how you would look in camera, how to please the camera-eye, how to follow to Aiba’s stupid script religiously. You’re still thinking.”

“But, I need to think, or else I won’t be able to function.”

“Yes, you can. You need to let those inhibitions go, let yourself become yourself on camera. We, the camera and I, can tell that you’re not comfortable enough.

“Not because you are not comfortable in camera, because you are. You won’t be a model if you’re not. But you didn’t let it all go, let it go through the camera and have them see you as it is on the camera.

“Just give the camera all that is you, not all that you want them to see.” Nino is down to his last drip of his coffee. He turns his gaze away from Jun, setting the cup next to Jun, giving the space for Jun as he turns silent for a while, digesting Nino’s run of advice.

Ninomiya picks up his camera on his feet, slowly unwrapped his shirt before putting them back on. When he’s done, he glances to Jun to see that Jun’s still silent.

They sit quietly for another minute.

“If I give you coffee again, you’d give me another advice?” Jun says, finally breaking the silence. His gaze is still fixed faraway, not looking at Nino but his voice is soft and sounds hopeful.

“Depends. You okay with what I’ve just said?

Jun sighs before turning to meet Ninomiya’s eyes. His eyes still have the same sparkles but now Jun can see the quirk of his smile. “More than okay. I needed that.”

“Good,” Nino nods. “You’re okay, Jun-kun. You’re more than okay.”

Jun tries another approach, now that they’ve shared something that feels so precious. “Me or my coffee?”

“Right now? Your coffee.” Nino laughs at his own answer. “But I’m sure you’ll catch up in no time.

Jun laughs with him.

“They’re back,” Nino then says, gesturing to their right, Aiba and Ohno rushing toward them, one waving and one trying to keep up with another. “I guess we’re be starting soon.”

Jun absently hums his acknowledgement. Sho has his cardigan and shoes, so he should go fetching his manager to get ready for the shoot. But before that: “Ninomiya-san,” he says.

Nino has stood waiting, his camera on one hand and towel on the other. He turns to gives a questioning look on Jun. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Quirk smile blooms on Ninomiya’s face and it was a pretty sight. “Matsumoto. You.”

Jun turns back fast, going to get Sho on the parking lot but he could hear Nino’s murmuring his thought merrily loud enough for him to hear. “Things you do for coffee, Ninomiya!”

Jun chuckles and hurries his way to the car. It has been a good talk with Ninomiya, or perhaps next time he’s going to try on calling him ‘Nino’.


	2. 1: Of Light Flirtation and Some Workplace Fun

“What are we waiting for then?” Jun asks, ready to step forward, before realising that none of the others are moving.

They are all standing by stiffly to wait for further instructions and none of them made a movement. Sho turns to Aiba to see if the man has anything to say at the moment but finds him just as speechless as everyone else is. Nino has moved fast though, reaching for his small camera and quickly set up a video recording after he recovers from the initial shock; while Ohno is taking a small step backward to subtly hide behind Sho.

“You guys!”

Ohno clutches the back of Sho’s shirt, staggering him, before shifting closer to just press forward and hiding shamelessly.

Aiba blinks, turning to Nino who has distanced himself pretty much a lot from the camera on his hands. Soon he knows that Nino wouldn’t care about the quality of the picture, keeping the camera on rolling for the purpose of capturing the scene and that’s it. Aiba wants to turn his head and avoid any contact but he isn’t going to waste the opportunity to film the moment. He lets Nino get the best picture the man could get, taking a deep breath, and decides.

“Everyone, hold that thought!” Aiba finally says. “Just hold it!”

.

At the end of one short work day, Jun and Ohno share few cans of beer near Shinbashi station. Jun has made a suggestion that they should get settled somewhere warm, a bar or something, so they could drink properly. Ohno refuses, saying that he needs to get home in a bit. Jun insists on paying for drinks, leaving no room for another no from Ohno. They finally go to the nearest konbini, settling on buying few cans of beer to sit on the bench near the station and share their drink there.

Jun has a question for Ohno that has been bothering him for weeks now. They are sipping their beers in silent for a few minutes before Jun works up the courage to ask.

“Ohno-san.”

Ohno turns to him, giving a silent question and a raised eyebrows.

“Why you keep on calling me Matsumoto-san?” Jun begins. “We’ve been working together for two months.”

Ohno doesn’t answer immediately.

Jun waits, setting aside his empty can and reaching for another.

“I use –san for all my colleagues.”

Ohno’s answer shouldn’t surprise him. He could already tell by knowing Ohno for the past month. Yet there’s more to question to ask. “But you called Sho, Sho-kun.

Ohno smiles at the question. “Because.”

“Because of what?”

“Because maybe I’m hoping that he will be more than a colleague soon.”

That is enough confirmation for Jun; he finds the conversation amusing all of a sudden. He’s asking another man of what he has in mind for his manager, his friend. And the man answers. It’s enough for now but he doesn’t want to miss the chance to tease a little bit. “Maybe? I can offer some help if you want.”

“Yeah. Maybe,” Ohno says, grinning at the teasing tone in Jun’s voice. “And I think you already do. You knowing this already helps. I’m not rushing or anything, it’s part of the fun.”

“Like who-has-more-than-everything fun?”

Ohno hides his smile behind the beer glass before letting out a soft ‘yeah’. He lets Ohno finish his can and excuse himself to head to the station first; he sits on the bench a bit longer, digesting the fact and finding himself already plotting more ways to tease those two.

.

By the fourth episode, Nino has insisted on setting complicated lighting. “The inside the store is too dark. Even with Jun-kun’s fair complexion won’t do much different,” he says, holding his ground firm as he refuses to budge and consider any of Aiba simple suggestion.

“We don’t exactly have time,” Aiba says exasperatedly. He has been antsy since morning.

The permission to film in the store wasn’t actually easy to obtain and here they are wasting their time, discussing lighting and script and being stubborn about them.

“It’ll be too dark,” Nino says, “there’s nothing else to do but to light it.”

Aiba persists. Meanwhile Ohno has already trying to inch away to get the suitcase Nino would need in a minute. Jun stays on the side line with Sho, both is used to the argument. This particular one is the harshest among the previous. They all know how important this shot is.

The shop is an old sweet shop and has been a very popular spot since early this year. Aiba has poured all his resources and charm to gain permission to shoot and they would only have today to do so. The owner has graciously letting them do prep and the shoot on late afternoon; few hour without business is already hard enough, they are only going to make a greater commotion and set up a bad name if they pushed through without solution.

“20 minutes,” Aiba says, defeated at the end. The light was poor, that he has to admit, but he also wants to get this wrap as soon as possible. Nino has a point but his point isn’t the best option. Yet the longer they spend their time arguing, the longer the shoot will be finished. Time is ticking. “Make it less.”

“You and I don’t want to do a reshoot, so you give me time to work on this.”

“I am. 20 minutes,” Aiba says, harsher this time. “I’ll talk to try to get some more, but that’s it. Matsumoto has to talk for at least 30 minutes, and we’re wasting time.”

Nino doesn’t even bother to thank Aiba. He gets on charging to the back of the store, locating the table Jun is going to use for shooting and calls out for Ohno. “Oh-chan, give me my second suitcase.”

Ohno already silently unpacks their portable lighting kit, and sets to work. Walking toward Nino with the suitcase, setting it on the table for Nino to set up. “You also want the—?”

Nino glances thankfully and nods. “Yes. You know which?”

“I do,” Ohno says, already going to the front to grab the filter he knows Nino would need.

“Give me that..”

.

They set up to work quickly and without a word; Aiba comes back with a sour expression, indicating that the owner has refused his offer to extend the shoot. He takes a look as Nino climbs the table, reaching to the ceiling to attach a clam. Ohno holds up the necessary carabiners and let Nino calling out his necessary pliers when he needs one.

Aiba goes back to Jun to set up with the script. They talked in low tones, practicing the lines Aiba has wanted Jun to say. Sho prepares the makeup for touch up, on the table, laying the sets for easier access and started to pick on Jun’s sleeve to give them a good roll.

Nino on the other hand is almost finished with preparation. It’s barely eleven minutes. “Hold that thought, Oh-chan. Stay there. We need gaffer tape. We need—“

Ohno is already next to Nino, handing a torn roll of gaffer tape out in one hand.

.

Not long, Ohno has a bottle of drink in the other hand. Nino smirks as he watches Aiba grabbing the bottle instead of what he frantically requested, chugging half the content in one go, breathing normally again after he’s done.

“You—“ Aiba starts. Ohno’s other hand still mid-air, holding the requested gaffer tape and Aiba takes his time capping back the bottle and sighs. “Thank you,” he mutters.

Ohno nods, smiling quietly, reaching for his bag.

“Now, can we start?” Nino says, gripping tight on the camera, shoving his light meter to the back of his shorts. “Lights are all done.”

“Everything in its place?” Aiba turns to Jun, who has just finished touching up his own make up, leaning his head in question. In synch, Sho gives Aiba an okay nod, giving last pat on Jun’s cardigan. Ohno gives a thumb up as he settles his headphone on.

“Matsujun,” Aiba then says, pointing out a spot he has marked before, leading Jun to table and setting up the shot with Nino. “Ready when you are.”

.

It started from the stupid game, the stupid who-has-more-than-everything game; even the name of the stupid game is stupid.

Jun comes to the car just in time for the game to begin; Aiba is away dragging Nino to do a filler shot up the hill and he told Jun to wait for them in the car because it will take a while and they didn’t need Jun. Ohno and Sho are sitting on the back of their van, both have their large bags on their laps, hands pulling out one item at a time.

Jun could hear Sho’s loud laughter from a mile away; it’s a always a rare treat to hear Sho’s letting his guard down and Jun catches himself smiling as he observes the stupid game unravel into higher level of stupidity.

“How about pliers?” Sho throws his suspecting glance toward Ohno. “Ah, but that should be easy for you, right? You must have one.”

“Pliers!” Ohno takes out and waves a pair of pliers from his bag. “I also have a Swiss Army knife, the large one. You can ask for a corkscrew. So don’t bother with the basic. What else?”

“Highlighter pen?” Sho laughs, wishing for a sweet victory, waving his complete set of five colours highlighters. “I bet you don’t even have a highlighter pen!”

Ohno pouts for a while, for show. “That’s cheating, Sho-kun,” he says, as he looks down to his bag, holding the smile that has already been forming on the corner of his lips.

“Well?” Sho swears he can already smell victory, shifting impatiently on his side, unconsciously scooting closer to Ohno.

Jun takes a seat on the metal case they used for heavy lighting on the ground; he takes a bottle of water from the cooler and continues observing the two men. “This game is so stupid,” he says absently, smiling over the heated feud, smiling as he was completely ignored. From the look of things, the game won't last longer than another few minutes; Sho’s losing and Aiba will need Ohno shortly.

“Sho-kun, you think you can put me down easily.” Ohno rummages into his pencil case and pulls out a shocking pink highlighter pen with a wide grin. “Ha!”

“Damn it,” Sho pouts menacingly at the sight, giggling as he puts his pens back to his bag. “You’re good, Satoshi-kun. Your turn! Do your worst!”

Ohno holds his gaze toward Sho and whispers, “Condom?

“You do not!” Sho gasps and flutters in surprise.

“I do, too,” Ohno says merrily, smirking as he pulls out, not one, but a thread of condoms.

“That wasn’t playing fair.” Sho’s mortified gape is priceless. Both Jun and Ohno don’t hold back on their laugh as Sho tries to find another reason to cancel the game and failed.

“Well, fair enough, I think. Anything as long you pulled it is from your bag, right?” Ohno puts the condoms back into his bag, smiling winningly. “And then I put it back on my bag. There.”

Jun has to give a round of applause for that. Sho turns to him with a betrayed look and gets a laugh in the face. He sees Ohno looking smug and proud and can only pout harder.

Ohno’s phone buzz, the moment passed, and they get back to work.

.

“Not the who-has-more-than-everything game. Not right now. Please.”

“Sorry.” Both Sho and Ohno turn to Jun apologetically. While it’s difficult to resist their sorry-faces, Jun keeps his face straight. These two have been bonding nicely, entertaining to watch at times, but he is under blistering heat and Jun doesn’t feel like playing around now that Ohno said they are ready to continue filming.

“You remember the name of the game though,” Sho says, beaming lightly at Jun’s memory.

“It wasn’t the hardest thing to remember after all.” Jun turns to Ohno who shares the same smile as Sho. These two. “Are you going to put the clip-on now?”

“Yes,” Ohno says. “Aiba-chan said that we should be able to start in less than half an hour. I can set you up now, keeping it off, so you can move on with touch up without any interruption.”

“Fine.” Jun nods. He keeps fanning his face, but set his hand on the side allowing Ohno to start setting the mic on him.

Ohno sets down his cables on the sand and reaching inside his bag for mic box while Sho instantly reaches out to take Jun’s water bottle, helping to speed the process. Jun hands the bottle to Sho, who then set it inside his large bag, and pulling out the make up bag after, already anticipating the next step of their preparation.

With hands deftly opening the box and unfolding the delicate cable, Ohno works fast, reaching inside Jun’s cardigan to thread the cable inside. His hand brushes the front of Jun’s damp with sweat white shirt. He looks up apologetically and says, “We’re truly sorry. I’ll try to make sure to get you a portable fan next time.”

“You do that, or I’ll get him a portable fan next time,” Sho adds without a bite, observing Ohno making a turn to attach the transmitter on the back of Jun’s waist.

“I’ll get Matsumoto-san two portable fans next time,” Ohno says, eyes still fixed on the transmitter, fiddling with the small button before clasping and tucking it nicely on the back of Jun’s belt.

Sho giggles triumphantly. “You’re so easy.”

“You are so easy, Sho-kun,” Jun says, partially on Ohno’s behalf and his—it was an open invitation to lighten up the mood after all. He and Ohno then share a smile quietly as Sho holds Jun’s makeup bag in front of his face, covering his frustrated growls of losing another round of game; Jun with a knowing smile and Ohno with a satisfied grin.

.

“What’s this again?”

“It’s baked pumpkin, with rum and blackberry jam.”

“No, I mean, the nice name you just said.”

“I don’t know,” Aiba giggles. “I already forgot. Why does boring food like this have to posses such a fancy hard-to-pronounce name? It doesn’t even make sense.”

“I think it’s delicious,” Jun says, crouching to get a side view of the small dish set up on the table.

Nino and Ohno is setting up to get an up on the plate; Ohno standing by with his sketch book page for makeshift reflector, and Nino standing on a chair, adjusting the neck of the tripod as he settled the shot.

“You think.”

“It does look delicious,” Jun says, resisting himself to poke the said dish and get a taste. “I hope it tastes good.”

Aiba laughs at that. “You are the one who have to eat it. You need to make it taste good.”

“It does help if I’m already considering that it’s going to be good.”

“Keep it for the camera then.” Aiba looks down to check his script, leaving Jun and his stare contest with the side of the dish continue. He never does care for the food; he has been disappointed so many times by those dishes that appear like they are the champion of the world but taste like shit.

“I will,” Jun softly answers, swallowing his pride for the camera, for Aiba and for the dish.

.

Jun gives a cursory bow to Aiba and Nino before turning to head toward the car. Sho is already waiting for him to get by, before trailing after Jun with Ohno is not so far behind.

They never have any proper place for Jun to get change; filming clothes changing happens in their small van.

Ohno goes straight to the back of the car to get the sound suitcase. Jun stops by the door and turns to Sho.

“All your clothes are inside. I put them on the tote bag, back seat.”

Jun nods, waiting for Ohno to get around the car. He detaches his clip-on mic, starting to loop them off his cardigan. Sho steps to his back to help him catching the cable and take the transmitter off.

“I got it,” Sho says.

“Thanks,” Jun says. “I’ll go get change then.”

“Okay.” Sho answers distractedly as Ohno comes with a small briefcase, his hand outreached to get the clip-on from Sho.

Jun gets on the car, closing the door behind them. It was humid and hot inside the car, since it has been staying under the sun waiting for them filming by the seaside. He finds the tote bag on the backseat, settling himself on the chair and starting to unbutton his cardigan. Today shoot was easy, he doesn’t sweat a lot, and still it will be nicer for him to change to his usual clothes.

After the cardigan, the shirt and the tank top he wears underneath follow. It’s actually worse now that his shirtless. The heat hit his skin directly and he scrambles to pull a fresh t-shirt from the tote bag.

Off his shoes, he takes off the socks and sets them with his shirt. It goes to the production laundry altogether. Legs straight, he shimmied out of the skinny dark jeans. Sighing over the simple relief after he does, Jun makes a grab for his loose sweatpants and quickly puts them on.

The enclosed heat will start to get unbearable soon.

He shoves all his filming clothes into the tote bag, setting the shoes on the far side of the back seat floor. Reaching under the middle seat to find his sandals and gets up to get out the car.

.

“I’m done.”

Sho nods at Jun’s cue and turns to Ohno. “We’re done, Satoshi-kun. Do you need anything else?”

Ohno looks up, closing the suitcase and setting it back up for storage on their van trunk. “Aiba-chan says okay already, right?”

“Yes,” Jun answers. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll be leaving now.”

“Okay,” Ohno says, bowing slightly. “Thank you for your hard work today.”

“I left the clothes inside the bag on the backseat. The shoes are on the backseat floor,” Jun says.

“Got it.”

Meanwhile Sho walks to the trunk to get their HQ tote bag, slinging his own haphazardly around his shoulder. Making sure that they are not forgetting important things, Sho does a quick check around. Among the stack of metal suitcases, backpacks and bags are arranged neatly—Ohno could be quiet but he has his own organized streak and order.

“I think we’re good,” Sho says, motioning Jun to get his backpack. “Ready when you are.”

Jun puts his backpack on, nodding to Sho while saying his goodbye to Ohno. “We’ll be going.”

“Take care. See you next week.”

“Yeah,” Jun says, waving his hands and already going toward the street.

They are heading for the station since Aiba and Nino have to do an additional shoot by the road. Jun has a photo session back in Tokyo at night, so they’ll be taking the train.

“Bye, Satoshi-kun. See you.”

Ohno doesn’t reply but he gives a grin toward Sho and sees them off.

Sho catches Jun up midway.

The heat has abated, just a little bit.

They walk across the park and reach the main street after a while. Gone were the shades of trees. There isn’t any traffic on the street and few passersby on the sidewalk.

“What was that just now?”

“What?”

“Sho-kun, I know you. You were flirting with Ohno-kun.”

Sho lets out an audible gasp, before he turns to focus straight on the street and walks faster with a flushed face.

“Oh, come on! What are you? Twelve?” Jun laughs, trying to keep up with Sho’s fast walk and ends up jogging up to him. “Wait, Sho-kun. Wait.”

The red shade on Sho’s face isn’t a result from the fast walk though.


	3. 2: Of Beginning and Wardrobe Department

Jun rolls his eyes, phone on his ears, standing in the middle of the supermarket exit. Sho’s voice is syrupy sweet and he could hear the hint of glee down on that deep voice. Sho never used polite words around him, not since few years back when he was only a fresh graduate joining HQ agency for their modelling line and Sho had introduced himself as Jun’s talent manager. “Sho.”

Sho’s voice turns even sweeter, with a chuckle at the end of his question. “Is this Matsumoto Jun I’m speaking with or is it now?”

Jun sighs this time, knowing that he won’t get Sho to let out his intention until he cooperates and joins the formal joke Sho seems to enjoy at the moment. “Yes, this is Matsumoto Jun speaking.”

“Matsumoto Jun!” Sho nearly screamed his name and it isn’t something that amuses Jun as much as it perhaps amuses Sho. “I call bearing good news!”

“I figure that much.” Jun grips his grocery plastic tighter on one hand. He continues to walk down the block before he turns to the quieter, waiting for Sho to talk out and getting home at the same time. He wants so much to get home and cooks his lunch—since he skipped dinner and then breakfast. “What is it?”

“Jun!” This time Sho screeches and Jun has to pull his phone away from his ears to keep his hearing intact.

“You are starting to disturb me. What is it?” Jun says. “You better start talking or I’m hanging up on you within 5 seconds.”

“Oh,” Sho huffs on the end of the line, “you are no fun.”

“You’re no fun yourself. What is it then? I thought it was good news but you’ve been holding out on me. I’m beginning to think that you’re just toying with me.”

“I’d do no such thing,” Sho says, sounds a little dejected. “And now that I’ve been distracted, you may not be getting that news.”

“Try me, really.” Jun reaches the end of the block, waiting for the empty intersection light to turn green. He swings his plastic bag playfully and waits for Sho to continue.

“That’d be not nice though,” Sho says softly, before his voice goes back to the previous high pitch. “I was calling to let you know about the offer we just agreed on for you. You remember the audition last month?”

“Which one?”

Sho pauses and Jun hates him for a second because he knows that Sho now is withholding the most important information of them all. He knows something Jun doesn’t and it gives him such happiness.

Jerk.

“Which one?” Jun asks again, with a higher tone this time. Sho’s joke has worked fine apparently because now he’s more curious than ever. “The Tokyo magazine?” Jun says, and Sho’s laughing merrily on the other line only grates him more. “Sho-kun!”

“Okay, okay, sorry for being a jerk. But Matsumoto Jun!” Sho pauses before continuing in a high-pitch baritone, “Congratulation on your being the main talent for 13 episodes of a midnight television program!”

Jun stops into a full halt.

He’s standing on the corner of his alley, on quiet midday, with his loose jersey and old t-shirt, holding a plastic bag full of vegetable. He hasn’t taken a bath since the day before, his face is a mess but he’s grinning, his smelly body wants to break into a grin.

He settles into a swift turn, swashing the content of his plastic bag, rattling his glasses and screams back into the phone. “Really?”

“Really,” Sho says, full of laughter. He’s probably sharing the same wide grin and has been turning in few swift loops himself.

“Really _really_?”

“Really really _really_.”

Jun wants to jump around and do a hopping round right there on the street. He wants to throw his plastic bag into the air, do a couple turns, before catching the bag again and proceed in shaking his butt like mad. He does remember that he bought eggs, so the throwing should be refrained. But he did a few butt shakes just to make a point. “Sho-kun,” he purrs into the receiver, “the world is spinning here.”

“It’s spinning here too,” Sho says, much with glee and merry and even more enthusiasm than Jun’s right now.

Jun can only envy the fact that Sho perhaps is on a closed room and it wouldn’t be a neighbourhood problem if he were starting to take off his shirt and do a shirtless stupid dance.

Back, even just a bit, to his senses, Jun takes a deep breath. It sounds too good to be true, and now that his brain has caught up with his butt, which is no longer shaking, he just wants to make sure. “You’re not joking, right?”

“I’m not,” Sho says, “I am not joking, Jun. This is serious. I just got the call five minute ago and I restrained myself not to shout at Kondo-san’s ear with glee, proceed to thank her and then I called you immediately.”

“Sho-kun,” Jun purrs again. “This is huge.”

“As huge as you can imagine.” Sho sounds intense and excited. “You need to go for a meeting tomorrow. First, we’re going to talk about the arrangement here at the office. The program wants to meet you this weekend.”

Jun nods to Sho’s explanation, now that he has come down, just a little bit from his high, realizing that he’s still standing on the corner of his apartment, by the blinking vending machines. The sun is blaring and while he wasn’t paying any attention before, he now feels exposed: it does happen after two butt shakes, he needs to get inside.

He resumes walking, partially hoping that his eggs in his plastic weren’t damaged or anything. He enters his complex and makes a beeline inside, heading straight to the stairs and his floor.

“I’m sending the brief, it’s very short though, to your email after this. Just skim through that first. They don’t require you to do anything else yet. So far, we’ve planned few meetings for the shoot. The film shoot, mind you, not the photos shoot!”

Jun grins at Sho’s lengthy explanations. He reaches his door, going inside quickly, taking off his sandals haphazardly, and going straight to the kitchen. He sets his plastic bag on his counter and then turns to stand by his small open window to continue listening to Sho’s next explanation.

The curtain moves as light breeze comes, merry in its inanimate way of giving Jun’s a support.

.

The wardrobe section director has asked for his detailed opinion and they talked over mail correspondence Sho passed through. Jun doesn’t mind with shooting wardrobe most of the times but knowing that he’ll be wearing the same clothes for at least twenty episodes (meaning twenty location shoots—or even more) worries him. He asked Sho to set up a meeting and Harada-san has graciously slot a half an hour first thing Monday morning.

At least the pair of jeans is comfortable; they have settled at that in the beginning.

“This won’t look good.” She hands Jun another light white shirt and holds out another in front of him. Jun has been standing in front of the tall mirror for nearly 10 minutes and having her mixed and matched different kind of apparels on him. “I’m still the one with the final says, you know.”

“I’m fully aware of that, Ma’am. I only want to make sure the clothes I have to wear for the next few months are comfortable.”

“Comfortable doesn’t mean shit. No one is going to Harada-san puts down the shirts she’s been holding, folding her hands in front of her chest and watch Jun’s posture straightened at the attention. “You modelled?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

She rolls her eyes playfully, “If I don’t know better, I’ll say you’ll flirting with me.”

“No, I—, I don’t mean—” Jun says, surprised.

“I’m kidding,” she says, laughter in the corner of her eyes. “You should ditch the “Ma’am” though. It’s making me feel old to have a good-looking guy calling me ‘Ma’am’.”

“Yes, Ma’a—, I mean, Yes,” Jun stutters his reply. “What should I call you then?”

“Harada is fine.”

“I can’t. You’re are— My mother is not even—”

“Guy telling a woman that she’s older than his mother,” she mutters with a pout. She then closes his eyes animatedly, putting on hand on her chest and sighing loudly. “Very stupid, Matsumoto.”

Jun blanches a bit, standing awkwardly. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to—”

“Of course you don’t mean to offend me,” she says, her eyes sparkling, her mouth forming a playful smirk. “You’re just very stupid. Young and stupid. Kids these days.”

He focuses on looking into the mirror, seeing Harada-san muttering her playful complaints and feeling oddly relaxed all of sudden. Not knowing what to say, Jun keeps on standing rigidly. She doesn’t mean any harm, now Jun knows, perhaps he should let his guard down a bit.

“I’m sorry, Harada-san, that didn’t come out right.”

“That’s an improvement, Matsumoto,” she turns and gives a smile, this time directly toward Jun before going to the rows of hanger on the end of the room. “You’re still a stupid guy though.”

“Very well. I guess I would need you to teach me how to not be stupid anymore.” Jun tries his line and finds himself smiling when he hears a giggle from across the room, turning to the sight of Harada-san’s back shaking with muffled of laughter.

“Not very stupid after all. You’re a fast learner. That’s a good start,” she says, still with her back toward Jun. When she turns around, she holds out a butterfly tie and a dark purple cardigan toward Jun with a wide grin. “Here’s some reward.”

“Huh?”

“This is the lightest material I have. You’re going to go around under the summer heat, right? This will save some layers of your sensitive skin and keep the perspiration level to minimal.”

“How do you know? I didn’t say sensitive at all…” Harada-san only gives sign as much as a raised eyebrow and Jun stops talking. “Thank you.”

“Good.”

Jun beams at the compliment and decides to try another one. “You’re the best, Harada-san.”

“That’d be reaching,” she laughs, “but I appreciate the effort.”

“Thank you,” Jun repeats, with a serious tone this time. He’s being complimented while also being told that their time is up; this woman is really something. It has been worth the trouble to get to the station first thing Monday morning.

“Best of luck, Matsumoto,” she replies. “I’ll make sure I watch the first episode. Don’t be too boring or I might fall asleep.”

“You probably will be half asleep anyway, it airs after midnight after all,” Jun says, lighter mood and determined tone this time. “But we’ll try our best.”

“Good. That’s very good,” she says. “I’m going to write down the dry-clean procedures for the AD and your manager. Can you just pass them for me?

“Yes.”

.

Sho was already waiting in front of the station for their next job by the time Jun arrives. “How’s the meeting?” he asks when they are walking back to the station to head back to HQ. “Okay?”

Jun doesn’t answer immediately, instead he smiles, clutching his backpack tighter and remembering fondly the last thing Harada-san said before he left her office. It’s a good day already, her compliment was terse yet honest and it makes his day.

It’s barely 10 AM.

“I haven’t thanked you for setting that up,” Jun says. “It went very well.”

“Very well?” Sho turns to see Jun’s faint smile, not pressing further but smiling himself. They turn to the south entrance and join the late morning crowd.

.

“How am I supposed to apply my make up then?” Jun asks. It turns out to be one of the things both Aiba and Ohno overlooked but Sho doesn’t. Luckily for Jun he gets at least a complete makeup kit from HQ because the team didn’t prepare anything.

Aiba nudges Ohno, both bowing deeply in apology as Jun brought the question during the trip. Nothing

“I'm not trying to whine irrationally, but I need time and space to apply makeup. This is television after all. You need to do more work.”

“You can use the car all you want once we are setting up,” Aiba says. “I think that should work."

.

“Sho-kun, here you go,” Jun says, handing the man his shooting costume in a large bag; he has packed his costume in a large plastic bag, or more like throwing everything inside for the cleaner to deal with.

Distracted by his phone, Sho reaches out to take the bag while not looking, humming soft thank you. “Good work today, Jun.”

.

Jun comes through the office door at precisely 10 AM in the morning; he actually timed it, slowing his pace a bit as he walked down from the station. He heads straight to Sho’s desk, passing through Yamada-san who’s talking on the phone with someone with a wave, saying short hi to few other people as he thread toward the right wing.

He finds Sho talking fast to the phone, clamping the phone on his shoulder, while trying to type a reply on what seems to be an email. Jun stays on the edge of the cubicle, not wanting to disturb the conversation, and lingers watching Sho’s back. The call lasts for another minute with Sho’s replying politely with repeated ‘Yes, Sir. Yes.’ When he sees that Sho’s about to end the phone, Jun clears his throat, letting Sho know that he’s already around. Sho turns to find Jun, welcomes him with a distracted smile before giving complicated gesture signing Jun to drag the chair from the next cubicle and sit right down while he is finishing the call. Jun does as instructed. Sho ends the phone call just as Jun settles on the chair.

“Hi,” Sho says, setting aside his phone and going back to the computer. He is distractedly typing some reply, speaking to Jun as he goes. “I just need to do this for a minute and then we can talk about your new schedule.”

“It’s okay. Take your time.”

It takes longer than Sho’s expected and Jun is running out of distraction. He puts his phone back into his pocket before slowly standing up. “I am going to get some coffee.”

“Ah, sorry. This should be done in a minute.” Sho looks up from the screen, clearly distracted. “Yes. Get some coffee first, please. I’ll be done soon.”

“You want one too?”

“No, thanks.” Sho’s focus is back onto the screen. “I just had some before you arrived.”

Jun walks down to the floor kitchenette for the coffee and when he’s back to Sho’s cubicle, the man has finished typing his emails and now looking through some documents. He gestures Jun to sit down when he sees the man has already holding a cup of steaming coffee.

“First sorry for the wait,” Sho says, ignoring Jun’s light shrug. “I have you scheduled for 10 AM but Takizawa-san wanted to re-brief me about the program.”

“I’ve said it’s okay.” Jun sips his coffee, mentally considering taking out his notebook and scribbling some points. Sho will probably rain down instructions re the new job for him. Sho will also give him a detailed list at the end of the meeting as usual so he settles on enjoying the bland free coffee. “So what’s on my schedule this month?”

“Pretty much the same.” Sho pulls out few pages out of his messy stack, looking through at it before he starts again. “We’ll be having two out of town trip this month. I need to check back it with Aiba-san but I received a draft of their schedule. Pending final confirmation, we’ll be having a trip to the mountains on the 10th and going to Matsushima Islands on the 20th. They’re going to shot all this month episodes on location.

“You also have two narration sessions over at the station, that’s pending final confirmation too. I think it won’t be much a bother though.” Sho looks up from the printed pages to give Jun a smile. “I’ll make sure they won’t slot that during any weekend.”

“Thanks.”

“And then.” Sho paused to skim the short list. “Few photo shoots, slotted for each Monday and Friday. Two of them are going to be outdoor and you still have that corner on the Akita Start Shunkan. They wanted to have you ready for a call. You have any particular day you want to slot off?”

“Not really.” Jun sets his half empty coffee cup amidst the mess on Sho’s desk, digesting the information and has already itched in adjusting his day off. “I really don’t want any surprises this month, Sho-kun. I hope everything works well.”

Sho nods in agreement. “I already noted some of the possibilities. That should give you an idea of where to put your day off.”

“And I’ll try to give you ahead start this time,” Jun says. “I really want to go to Tokyo this month. It has been postponed often enough.”

“I know.” Sho nods sympathetically. “I’ll try my best.”

They sit in silence for a while then. Jun idly looking nowhere in particular, still trying to digest the schedule, already trying to map the workdays. Sho runs through the note once again, making sure that he doesn’t miss telling Jun anything.

“Is there anything else? I have another meeting with Aiba-san after lunch. Might as well heading to the station before lunch hour rush started.”

“That’s all,” Sho says, quickly skimming the papers on his hand before handing them to Jun. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning for pick-up then.”

“Okay.” Jun takes the papers and pushes them into his bag. He’ll peruse them later. “Thank you for this. See you tomorrow.”

Sho stands to see Jun off, giving a slight bow. “I won’t be late.”

Jun laughs at the promise. It’s been a running joke for them these last weeks. Just because Sho was late one time and it threw off their entire schedule for the day, followed by guilt-ridden Sho and highly entertained Jun, it was a day to remember. “You shouldn’t be then. Or you won’t hear the end of it.”

“That alone is enough motivation,” Sho says, with a wide smile. “See you tomorrow, Jun.”


	4. 3: Of (Another Beginning) and the Editing Room

“This is a gamble all in all. You have good rep from your previous position. You should be able to make this as interesting as possible. While this is not something that we expect could turn gold, I believe you’ll work hard all the same, Aiba-san.”

“Yes, Sirs.”

“You need to submit your own review report along with the budget plan for the first five episodes. Sasaki-san will have another meeting with you later this weekend, before you meet the talent, and all plans should be confirmed and approved by then.

Aiba nods.

“I believe you’re going to submit request for your team? Even if there isn’t much we can offer, especially with the coverage of the summer festival in June.”

I am capable in working with small team. And I believe that this is an opportunity to apply minimal work resources for maximum result.

“I shall have your project plan by Friday then. That’s all from me. Anything else from you, Sasaki? Yamada?”

Both men shake their head, giving a polite nod both at Aiba and Chief.

“Fine then. Remember you report to not only your floor manager but also to the general program manager, understand?”

Yes sir.

.

Aiba goes out from the meeting room with a full plan already brimming on his head. He needs to get everything in writing and he needs someone to help him. No one is around and he needs to do this alone, sadly, but he could call Ohno and have him ready by the office this afternoon for a chat and coffee.

Then he’ll get Ninomiya on the line, and for brunch meeting the next day; meaning that he’ll need to go to Nino’s studio to say hi, grovel with his offer and have Nino on board with his new team.

There’s nothing much to be done actually, he needs to put everything in his template and get to work. That’s all.

The meeting is on three days.

.

Aiba leans back against his ratty chair, smiling over Jun who needs to set aside few of his stuff to get his chair next to Aiba’s. “You know, usually manager deals with this arrangement. Instead you’re here yourself.”

“I have time,” Jun says. “It’s not a problem.”

“Thank you all the same,” Aiba says softly, reaching for his files.

Jun nods at that, knowing that Aiba really means it when he speaks his appreciation.

Perhaps Aiba isn’t the best director there is but Jun has never worked with another director, a specific program director. Aiba is carefree at one time while being exact and demanding at other; these past few months has been a new and exciting experience. It doesn’t mean that Jun is all happy about it. Sometimes there’s something he couldn’t read about Aiba and it’s exasperating.

“I’m just going to run through these schedule with you,” Aiba begins, “and you probably going to regret coming here and wishing that you send your manager instead.”

“I’m here anyway, so you might as well continue,” Jun says. “And what’s with you keep on bringing my manager. You wanted to meet Sho-kun instead?”

Aiba blinks in confusion before he clearly sees that Jun is teasing him. “No. I didn’t mean that. I was just saying—“

“I probably will regret coming here?”

Rolling his eyes, Aiba chuckles. “I didn’t make it sound better, did I? I’m sorry, Matsumoto. I probably didn’t sound welcoming at all. What I was trying to say is that usually managers deal with this pesky detail of schedule. I really didn’t expect for my talent to come and receive direct brief himself.”

“I’m not your usual talent. I’m just a amateur model.”

“Now you completely making me feel guilty of saying this whole nonsense about how it’s supposed to be your manager coming here,” Aiba says. “I am new in this as much as you are. Hope that clears this confusion.”

“I don’t know what to do here, Aiba-san, I’m just as new as you can get. I do want to know what I should do with all this new challenge. That’s why I’m here. I kind of told Sho-kun to leave this details to me. He wasn’t very happy about this, saying basically the same thing you said just now,” Jun says, sensing that Aiba would just lead the conversation nowhere and he must put an end on this chit chat and get down to business.

“I really appreciate this, seriously,” Aiba says, inching closer to his desk, dragging his chair and rearranging the papers he has laid on the table. “I do, Matsumoto.”

“I know. And I also appreciate this,” Jun says. “Now, can we get on to the schedule?”

“Yes,” Aiba says, “I already send you, or your manager, the early draft. Have you had a chance to review it?”

“I read it yesterday.” Jun reaches for his backpack, pulling out a folder and pulling out a copy of his schedule and his script book.

Aiba smiles. “I see you also have received your script book?”

“I have,” Jun says, and seeing the question on Aiba’s eyes he adds, “I’ve read it.”

“Good. That saves time,” Aiba says, pulling out his own copy of the script. “Any question on the script? Before we go on to the schedule.”

“I didn’t expect it to be, what should I call it, concise,” Jun says, flipping some of the pages to refresh his memory. “You can’t find any details here, just points of shooting list and rundown of sequence supposed to be filmed?”

“Exactly.” Aiba sounds brighter than before. He sits straight on his ratty chair, squeaks of them heard as he moves along with his explanation. “That’s how we work, or how I work as director. I’m going to give you some freedom to expand the details during the shoot, or I am going to change few things to make things more interesting. The points and rundown are there to keep things on course. I guess you’ve heard by now that I tend to run off course; I fully realize that and this, as it has been proven by series of experiments, is the best way to keep everything on schedule.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, you’ll see.” Aiba smiles, leaning back against his chair and smiling to Jun again. “Now, about schedule. I’m worried most about the mid-month.”

Jun turns his script to the mid-month, seventh and eighth episode.

“I was under contract to consult with your management about night shoot and anything that fall under the category of scene involving animals,” Aiba says. “My plan is to go to a midnight zoo. So there’s two big consultation.”

“I didn’t know that there’s a midnight zoo,” Jun says.

“There’s one on Chiba. I just found out myself during research and we’re in the middle of obtaining permission to film our program there. There shouldn’t be any problem though. Things are looking up. But we still need to consult with you.”

“Personally, I don’t have any problem. I’m sure that the agency would not go as far prohibiting me to do the shoot.”

“Great!” Aiba says. “I’d need you to sign some papers. I’ll have them prepared by next week.”

“Okay.”

.

“Matsumoto, it’s also a new experience for me to work with variety amateur. I hope we’re going to get this work done and then some.”

“At least you’ve been doing this for a while.” Just as he doesn’t have enough pressure yet, Jun gets another; yet Aiba’s word doesn’t feel like an accusation. The man is only wishing for them to do good work together. “The only lens I confront is the one that captured my still image. With this, we are going to do moving pictures. I must be stupid if I’m not nervous.”

Aiba holds his gaze toward Jun, nodding in agreement, but says nothing.

“Nothing else to do but to face the challenge,” Jun says with finality of a displayed courage. “I’ll do my very best.”

*

Aiba softly knocks a few times before he takes a peek inside the room. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” a man answers, grinning as he turns and seeing Aiba’s face. He signals Aiba to enter. “You’re early.”

“I have something else I needed to do first thing in the morning. It turned out to be quick and easy,” Aiba says, walking toward the man behind the complicated panels and taking the second chair. He sets two tall coffee plastic cups on the side. “Apology for being so early.”

The man laughs. “They are just a bribe.”

“They are still coffee.” Aiba grins, now setting down the packs of condiment from the coffee shop. He never remembers how Hino-san takes his coffee—that’s Ohno’s speciality, so he takes pretty much everything just in case. “I have all these, for your maximum morning coffee experience.”

“You’re being extra sweet is a sure definition that this is indeed a bribe,” The man chuckles, getting two milk and pouring them into his coffee. “Thanks Aiba-chan.”

“No problem.” Aiba nods, getting two sugars for his coffee too. He takes a short glance to the monitors lined up. None of them is his program; that means Hino-san hasn’t been starting on anything yet. “You’re in the middle of working something else?”

“Oh, not really.” Hino-san sips his coffee slowly, taking his time. “I have to revise this tomorrow and I needed to refresh some blurry memory. The pictures are literally blurry. This was done very poorly and I don’t know what else I could have done to salvage the work.”

Aiba turns to the monitor and sees few of work lines Hino-san must have been working, clipping parts of the frame to enhance them manually; the whole troublesome detailed works.

Hino-san reaches out to push several buttons, closing few frame windows and pulls a new sequence out of his editing timeline.“But now that you’re here, we can start on your program. At least it has high quality pictures, a treat for the tired eye. ”

“Nino is good.”

“Your Nino is very good,” Hino-san says. “You’re damn lucky you got him as your cam person.”

Aiba beams. “We sure are.”

“You’ve gotten better,” Hino says, eyes straight to the middle monitors. “Or you gel better now with the rest.”

“Thanks.”

“Unlike the first bits, this one is exceptionally good.”

Aiba nods, watching as Hino-san deftly switches between right and left monitor, dragging cut sequences back and forth, adjusting timing. He loves watching editor works; most of them are not privy to have and audience during work, and prefer to have the director or producer supervise the finished product but Hino-san is a little bit different. He doesn’t mind any audience as long as the audience doesn’t mind him talking to himself, cursing at the frame and proceeds in putting things together in his own way.

Honesty has been one of Hino-san strength. He is known to be one who cannot spare the compliment for something below par. Any set of rushes landing into his hand has to have quality or he would fiercely tear them apart in professional disgust.

Aiba has once, or twice, been around to see his own works (complete script and got torn apart, redubbed, and rearranged differently by Hino-san. He also received very harsh comments and critiques; he would never forget the day Hino-san shouting on top of his lung, cracking the discs onto the table and nearly breaking them apart, just because Aiba gave him a below the par rushes.

“Everything is fucking pitch dark. Aiba. How do you suppose I should work with this, what the fuck is this anyway?”

Aiba had tried to reason, to present a solid excuse only to realize that his solid excuse is not solid after all. “The shoot was very rushed, Hino-san. I have no excuse but that was all we got from the location.”

“And that should concern me how? The fuck, Aiba! Are you new on this? You’re not! You are supposed to use your fucking brain! How am I supposed to work on this shit?”

Silence followed. Aiba has run out of things to say; it hurts to hear profanities flowing out of Hino-san’s mouth. They used to share jokes, all the way since Aiba’s training days. They are good friend. They are colleagues with good relation. When Aiba started to get director work, Hino-san was one of the persons who gave a full support. Somehow Aiba doesn’t like this situation.

“I’m sorry, Hino-san, I have tried my—“

“Apologizing to me now doesn’t change anything,” Hino-san cuts him. “It doesn’t matter how best you’ve tried, Aiba. You didn’t think during your work and now you need to deal with it.”

“But I did—“

“You didn’t. And it is reflected in this shit you’ve given me to edit. I cannot work on this, and if I can’t work on this, I really can’t.”

Again, Aiba is lost. He had hoped for Hino-san to save the shoot. It was a difficult decision on location but Aiba knew that it might not be going to work out fine at the end. He had made a decision to shoot and deliver the rushes.

He was the first assistant director then.

.

At the end, Aiba sat through the entire night, listening to Hino-san complaining and criticizing every frame. He was silently crying after midnight when Hino-san got to the worst part of the shoot, screaming profanities to the empty studio. But Aiba stayed on his chair until the next morning, until Hino-san pulled off all the tools he can unearth from his editing program and did his magic, until the man finished with a satisfied smile.

“Aiba,” he says, smiling in realization that he finds Aiba still sitting on the chair. “You’re still here.”

Aiba nods. His eyes were red, cheeks blotchy with tear marks, his nose stuffed, but Hino-san was smiling again and he felt so much better.

“Let me run this down for you then.”

They watched the finished product together.

Aiba glances at the blinking clock on the side of the computer. 5:52 AM; they had spent the whole night in the studio.

Yet Hino-san’s eyes were shining when he put the sequence on the preview pane, turning to Aiba with a childish smirk and a beaming pride that one could spot from a mile away.

The preview runs smoothly; Hino-san has painstakingly layered every frame with new setting of contrast, salvaging most of the bits that Aiba has shot. There are some part that are rushed, some that is too short compared to what was written on the script, but they are all passable for broadcast; that was all that mattered right then.

“What time is your producer preview meeting?”

“10 AM,” Aiba says, now with a faint smile on his face resembling Hino-san’s as they shared the accomplishment together, slumping on their chairs and staring at the now blank monitor.

“I really want some beer, and then a long nap,” Hino-san says, sighing with longing while barely holding his yawn. “Too bad it’s almost 6 AM in the morning.”

“I’ll treat you beer, right now, or later tonight,” Aiba begins. “Anything you want, Hino-san. You’ve saved me this time.”

Hino-san closes his eyes, and says with a warning, “Aiba.”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t do this to save your ass. I did it because it’s my job.” Hino-san fixes his sitting position, turning around and now facing Aiba. He sits straight and in response, Aiba is sitting equally straight.

They stare into each other’s eyes before Hino-san continues. “Listen. My job is never to save any director or producer’s work. My job is to edit stuff. Sometimes I got quality stuff, sometimes I got piece of shit. Whatever comes, it’ll be my job to put things together.

Aiba shifts uncomfortably, mainly because Hino-san sounds very serious and sincere. His eyes are stinging again but he keeps his breathing even, trying to hold all the emotion at bay.

“You on the other hand need to do your job, because no one is going to save your ass, Aiba, not even me.

“Our work is built on reputation. You can work all you might but at the end what counts is reputation. You will not survive in this world if you don’t have a good track record or serving as favorable party.

“That’s why, Aiba, work hard and never hope of anyone will save your ass. No one will. You need to save your own ass, you need to keep that fine ass safe. You need to give you all on your work before you say you did your work.

“From what I see, we both did our jobs tonight. You poorly, and I brilliantly. And that’s that. You think I don’t see those tears, those stupid tears. Tears are meaningless, Aiba, it cannot fix anything, not in this world. So keep them to yourself and those who are close to you. Next time, do it properly. Don’t let things like this happened again. I might not be around to give you a good whip.”

When Hino-san turns from the blank monitor, fresh tears are flowing on Aiba’s face all along with a brilliant smile. He sighs. “Young people!”

“Hino-san?” Aiba says softly, hiccups held back valiantly. “I really want to hug you right now.”

Hino-san chuckles. “Don’t. Just don’t.”

“Plus there were too many mentions of ass and then whip, I just can’t keep myself together.” Aiba laughs at the sight of Hino-san covering his face with his palms and muffling his intensified chuckles. “Thank you for saving my fine ass then. I’m glad you thought so.”

“Aiba, it was not a compliment.”

“It’s still fine, either way,” Aiba says, beaming with full-blown smile right now. “And I’ll go with you if we’re going to get beer now. Even if we can’t hit any shop at this time of day. But I’ll accompany you squatting in front of Lawson sipping can beers if you want. I will even have one myself.”

“You are special,” Hino-san laughs, reaching out to pat Aiba’s shoulder. “That’s a terrible idea but let’s do it anyway. I think we deserve it.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“If you call me Sir again, I will delete this badboy right here, don’t you think I won’t!”

Aiba pulls out a fake surprised look before saying, “Yes, Sir!”


	5. 4: Of Backgrounds and Friends

Ohno nods on all Nino’s explanation, and Nino later realizes that, “wait, you already know all these, don’t you?”

Ohno nods, all the same in the so much seriousness.

“Yet you listened to all I’ve been telling you?”

Ohno nods again.

Nino sighs tiredly, that was a hour gone to waste. Ohno doesn’t actually look like he knows, but there’s a subtle fire on his eyes Nino caught while he was trying to explain about how he work. Now, he perhaps he could cut down to the chase. “Are you good?”

Ohno nods, the same quiet and calm attitude he has been displaying all morning.

Nino chuckles, eyes still fixed staring at Ohno. It’s going to be interesting, he supposes. This man is really something.

“Aren’t you the quiet kind?” Nino lets out a small laugh, waving his hand before Ohno could respond. “Don’t bother respond to that, I was only stating the obvious out loud.”

.

“I’m not hard to keep up with, but some people have their share of complaints when it comes to how I work.”

Ohno nods, this time his eyes are even glazier than before, but at least now he’s taking notes.

Nino somehow feels better seeing that. He reaches his coffee and starts to lean against his chair. “I’ll get you the equipment list and then I want you to study them.”

“Yes,” Ohno says, absently as he scribbled more into his notebook, and looks up meeting Nino’s square in the eyes with a realization. “Aiba-kun has your equipment list, right?”

“Ah, yes, I sent him the incomplete list already,” Nino says. “I’ll have the final list sent in few days. I’m still waiting for a confirmation from the art department on a Blondie I wanted. I will send it to both of you then after I finalize it.”

“Yes please,” Ohno says sweetly.

Nino squints for a while and when he sees nothing but glee and warmth in Ohno’s eyes, he gives into a smile. “Oh-chan, I think we can get along just fine.”

Ohno grins.

.

“Do you think we can get away with only the pan for opening shot?”

“I think so. We don’t have much time, and I want to focus on dealing with the owner,” Aiba says. “Ohno can help if you want to set up though. I just can’t give you more that I already have.”

Nino considers their choice, it wasn’t something that’s reckless to begin with, but it’s always safe to be cautious. “I just wondered if it’s enough. I surely don’t want to get any reshoot schedule not at this time of the year.”

“Just take the usual. And that’ll be it. We won’t have to go back and take more,” Aiba says. “I’ll let you decide the best way.”

“Got it.” Nino smiles and motions Aiba to go ahead and leave him to work.

“I’ll be right back.”

.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Nino swallows, sighing tiredly at the statement. He’s been awake for more than 24 hours now. Every bone and join in his body screaming with fatigue. His head has been fuzzy for the last hour and soon, he just knows, his entire mind will shut down itself.

They have been pushing their schedule together, partially because they are now on the farthest edge of the province and they didn’t have the budget to spare on two trips. Aiba has been nice enough—sho has been helpful with the search of proper accommodation. They are staying 3 days by the beach and they’ve been shooting all day for the last two days, and Nino knows that they would waste their nice hotel room for sleeping the next day so that they can have sufficient energy to go home.

Aiba isn’t the easiest to handle when he’s tired and he’s been spurting out comments on every single shot, demanding Nino to do a retake on some, or giving up easily on others.

“You don’t want to do what anymore?” Nino asks, just because they are walking back to the end of the street now, for another bloody reshoot just because Aiba wants another alternative. Sho and Ohno are dragging their steps ahead, knowing that they are bound to get the scenes done before any of them could take the much-deserved rest. “What, Aiba-chan?”

“This.”

Nino turns, seeing Aiba’s tired expression, his eyes are red and Nino knows that he is even more tired than him; being the one who has to get up the earliest every morning and the last to settle down at night.

“You don’t want another reshoot? Is that is?”

“No, this whole tiring shoot. This is getting nowhere. Can you feel it?” Aiba sighs, but he drags his steps nonetheless.

Sometimes Nino wonders why Aiba could be so persistent and easily giving up at the same time. And why he is taking it all up on himself.

“I can fell it, it’s been going nowhere since this morning. But I thought you want us to shoot this anyway? We need the footage. We shall get the footage.”

“I’m tired, Nino.”

Nino sighs again. Aiba won’t say that to the others, not to Jun—who’s teetering on a very thin line; Sho made killer coffee and that’s probably the only reason Jun is still wide awake. Plus his utmost focus and things that Nino doesn’t want to know at the moment.

They are going to finish stupid shot, get the footage and then they could head to their hotel room to pass out. Aiba might be getting out of fuel but he’s going to make sure that they are going to finish this. There’s no way he’s doing this again, not after all the hardwork.

“We all are,” Nino says. Reasoning might work, but he wouldn’t push his luck this time. The clearer the better. They need to finish this soon. “But we’re going to do this anyway. Don’t make me all supportive and cheerful, Aiba-chan. I am not far from giving up either.”

At the word, Aiba turns to see Nino, seeing the same tiredness, and sighs. “We are exceptional, right?”

Nino feels it’s a miracle that he could still pull his face muscle and form a smile. “That we are. Now, let’s finish this.”

“I’m so tired,” Aiba says, this time with a lighter mood, the mood that Nino knows reflect his will to finish his work and not bother other people. He’s going to pull through till the end, and that’ll be it.

“Me too.”

.

One cannot just operate camera and smoothly goes on producing good stuff. He needs practice, lots of them. So Nino went to find work in Tokyo. Within five years, he has worked as apprentice for someone who’s famous enough, someone he doesn’t want to mention, but Aiba then will keep on wiggling his eyebrows knowingly, and annoyingly.

“Stop with the act like you know what happened!”

“Nino, if I didn’t know that you have such excellent portfolio, would you think I’d enlist you into my team?”

“Not really. I think you’ll choose anyone who’s around.”

“That’s a mistake,” Aiba says, this time his eyes earnest and kind, it hurts. “I choose you because you’re the best there is. I got a list when I started the production, and your name was the best. Still is the best. That’s why I wanted you for the team. I know you’re going to make the program better.”

“Not that it’s good to begin with.”

Aiba raises his eyebrows and receives only silent pout from Nino before the latter turns to avoid his gaze. “You make this program better nonetheless. I’m grateful of you, Nino.”

“Shut up.”

.

Nino’s first encounter with the actual video camera actually came in very late, considering most people has already known about a photo camera. He had never seen a video camera until later in high school. Not that he has the resources at that time, he wasn’t even the person who shines in classes during high school.

It had to happen that he made a mistake and entered the film club one day during their meeting. His eyes met the boy heading the meeting, seeing a frightening determination on the little figure and ended up signing his registration form by the end of the day.

He didn’t bother to pretend that he knows stuff about film. He has been a through and through amateur and wasn’t afraid to show it. He learned later from the club manager, Shibutani, that filming was not easy; filming was so much work, yet it will give a treat of satisfaction. Nino fell in love with film, and with Shibutani, by the end of the month.

By the end of the year, he had learned all the techniques Shibutani has, the one he achieved through workshops and his father’s guide perfectly. Nino also learned that sex while was not actually worth it, could serve as glue for their relationship.

They stayed close—filming trips, photo shoots, making out on the corner of the film club locker room, until graduation. Shibutani lined up with the valedictorian and the best graduates on center stage. Nino stood lazily on the last rows of the graduates. They all sing their high school hymn and just like that school was over.

Shibutani went to Tokyo a week after graduation. His rare letters indicated that he was having a good time with his internship on a fairly big production house in Shinjuku. Nino didn’t do anything for a year, mostly taking out his video camera, the precious 18th birthday present from Subaru, who apparently is a rich bastard, hence the fancy present.

Until one day, Shibutani wrote that he’s going to be in a film production for the next months, and he was absurdly saying goodbye to Nino, one-sidedly saying that he will not write for a while and he wishes Nino good luck. For a guy who usually cannot stop talking, cannot contain his excitement when it comes to filming, Shibutani wrote Nino a formal letter.

His heart was broken. He was thinking of heaping his camera on to the wall or throwing them into the river. But he didn’t. He also didn’t reply to the letter. If Shibutani wanted to leave him hanging, if he thought Nino will be pining for him, then Nino will prove him wrong.

He went into a bike trip, half a day away from the small town. He spent three months in the onsen he once visited when he was a kid, chatting up the owner. He worked to earn his small smelly room and hot dinner. He went up to the mountain to take a panoramic sequences, he talked to the people on the onsen and do a verite. He talked with some guest, made three short movies. One of it was actually entertaining in its horror genre.

Nino went back home with a backpack full of exposed tapes; he was only able to buy as much so he had used them carefully. He then went to one of the studios he knew through the film club, meeting one of the owner to ask for a discount in exchange for one short film he’s willing to shoot for the studio. He made them a silly campaign advertisement and managed to use the editing room for a full week.

He edited all his footage, barely seeing the light for the whole week. Nino finished editing his three short film, two verities docs, and a panoramic visual video in that week; a simple yet potent and comprehensive portfolio.

He applied for a scholarship in film major at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and got accepted the next spring. His heart soared when he thought about meeting Shibutani again now that he was going to study in Tokyo.

People around him reacted very well with the news. Nino didn’t think that it’s an achievement. He got a free pass to go to Tokyo, that’s first, and then he could work with camera again, and that’s enough for him.

His mother cried upon sending him off to Tokyo, which then set him on tears too, knowing that she has always supported him even if he wasn’t always the best. He gave her a long hug, rejecting the offer to drive him to the station saying that it was such a silly idea and she didn’t have to do that, or else they will break down and cry on the parking lot and he’d miss his train.

Yet, on the train, after he swallowed his tears upon the thought of him leaving his mother on his own now, after he got excited that from that day on it will be a new experience on the center of his world, he took out Shibutani’s letters he brought with him and started rereading the whole stack.

Something that was on the letter didn’t rub him right this time. He was emotional enough when he first read the letter. He has had nothing at that time; Shibutani was his world during high school and as much as he didn’t want to admit, he missed the man when he was gone. But now that he reread the letters, the tone of writing was not friendly at all. Most of the report was done so formal, as if he wasn’t expecting reply, as if he was merely reporting what happened and that was it. Nino found himself fuming all of a sudden. He had worked hard to get accepted at the university; he could say that he poured his all on those short videos. And Shibutani didn’t seem to understand that.

.

One thing they taught Nino on university was specific sets of skills and the pride they need to hold up high. They are one of the best film persons in Japan, and they need to remember that.

So when one of the directors in a production house Nino was having training tried to undermine him, Nino doesn’t comply. He refused to move his stance, going off directions and produced his own work. Problem is, the real world operates in different form of theories; ones you cannot study in school.

He went back to the university with a reputation of being a problem student. Most of his professors are appraised of his behavior during his training and either advised him to pull himself together, remembering his place or supported him for being frank, saying they need their students to do so. Both don’t offer anything. Nino graduated with a fair grade, but no solid connections. Most who have problem with his attitude doesn’t consider him as promising trainee. Those who don’t care are not giving anything solid at the end.

He tried his best in Tokyo, going for the hard work, terrible photo shoots, or sideline cameraperson.

Two years later, when most of his classmates have already secured at least promising training position, Nino still stuck with low job and he hasn’t held a real camera (the fancy video cam, not SLR or anything like that), he is at the verge of breaking down.

One absurd offer came from one of his professors, the one who knows him for what his worth: a trip to Korea for 6 months, camera assistant. Low wages, but he’s going to work with both Japanese director and Korean cameraperson. Tokyo was suffocating in its way, he didn’t have anything else, nothing to attach him on the city in the first place, so he took the offer. It was an eye-opener journey. He had never worked so hard in his life. Six months flew in a blink of an eye and when he went back to Japan, he doesn’t even want to stay in Tokyo anymore.

He packed his stuff, applied for position as television cameraperson near his home, and secured one on one television station. It’s going to be a small job, compared to any of the Tokyo ones, compared to the one his university alumni usually after, compared to almost everything. But he was tired of running around and trying to please other people, based on how they’ve been on the industry longer than him.

During his stay in Korea, he realized that what he wanted was to hold a camera, shot a scenery, and lead a slow life; no need to run around to catch one work before another, no need to stoop so low to do something you love. He realized that he loved filming but he hated the industry and he needed to do something about it.

So he went back home, rented a place in town even if his mother insisted that he should go back home and if he needed to commute to work, it should be manageable. He needs his space—that was what he learned in Tokyo, so he refused.

His new work was very light, in comparison to any of the grunt intense works he performed in Tokyo. He was in charge of the whole camera work for one program, one at a time. There aren’t many people in the department, merely him and several other guys (one his senior who only dealt with studio shooting and assistants). He dealt most of the outdoor shoot, based on his experience handling shoots in Korea.

He then met Aiba Masaki again, now a young program director one day, and then their story begins. Aiba was the brightest kid on his high school. He was popular, people liked him because he’s nice and easily relatable. Being the ace of basketball team, Aiba continued to shine, until one day a girl came in transfer from Tokyo. The girl has a sad look on her eyes—not wanting to be there in the first place, and Aiba fell in love.

Turned out she was a daughter of a famous photographer, who decided to reside on the rural area now that he has time for his own personal work. She wasn’t the easiest person to talk to but Aiba is nothing but relentless. His effort to get closer to her leads him to learn more about photography, and cinematography as well. He talked a lot with the girl’s father and soon formed a good bond.

When Aiba graduated from high school, he got over his silly crush and became close friends with the father. The daughter happily moved back to Tokyo as soon as she was accepted in Sophia, leaving the godforsaken rural town that bored her to death. Aiba has earned himself a mentor.

He began taking camera with her, finding out that it was exciting to convey stories with visual. He learned to manage shots, going around with the father to do a photo shoots while bringing his camera. He worked part-time on the konbini and bough a fancy camera the first year. He created bits and pieces, getting closer to the television people that the father introduced with him.

When there was an opening in Trainee Director, he applied. There was question about his college education but it didn’t prevent the station to employ him. They were not ambitious in hiring someone good; Aiba got a mild salary for office hours and then some.

Three years later, Aiba received an offer to direct his own program. He went into a deep research mode for a month, trying to find out the best rundown he could manage, going for detailed notes on their local attraction that he wanted to feature on his program. Damn, his program, it’s so good to say that.

His project presentation didn’t start off well, but he made up for all the nervousness midway. The board seemed to be quite satisfied with his rundown and overall plan. They wanted to review the presentation on few of the following days, but one of them told Aiba that he could get ready to prepare the work because they are already thinking to go with the plan.

Two weeks later, Aiba and Ohno celebrated their first program on their regular izayaka.


	6. 5: Of Candy Shop and Fit of Temper

“Nino,” Aiba says.

“Aiba-chan,” Nino replies.

They both turn to look at each other eyes, sharing knowing grin.

“Are you—?”

“Yes, I am. Shall we?”

“I thought you never ask,” Nino says, rubbing his hand on his camera smoothly. “Let’s do this.”

“Oh-chan, get Jun here. Now,” Aiba says, knowing that Ohno will get Jun quickly and they could start the shoot immediately. “We’re setting up and ready to go in 10.”

Without another word, Ohno turns to go to their car to fetch Jun.

“We should get Jun starts here.” Aiba moves forward to plan the shoot, standing in front of the store, in time with Nino turning on his camera and fixing the harness. “Pan from the street view, I think.”

“Yes. That’d give a bigger impact,” Nino says, eyes behind the lens already checking on the frame. He begins the frame on the empty street view, adjusting focus and settling on zoom level. “One point you can only see an empty street, and then, bam, you have J in front of this happy shop.”

Aiba chuckles in excitement, posing as Jun where he wanted the man to be standing later on during recording. Hands waving in front of the giant crocodile out of papier mâché, he walks back and forth, back to side of the shop before going toward the door, giving Nino range of frame he wanted in motion.

“I got that,” Nino says, waving a thumb up with eyes already glued to the eyepiece. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Ohno’s on his way with them,” Aiba answers, seeing Sho and Jun walk toward them with Ohno trailing behind with the stool. “Here they come.”

Jun goes straight to Aiba, knowing that they are going to film soon since Nino has already set up a pose. Sho stops ahead, just before he reaches too close to Nino. Ohno approaches Nino to whisper things in his ears.

“I have your stool,” Ohno says.

“Nice.” Nino smiles, eyes still not turning to spare a look. “Let’s keep it around. I might need it later for close up and filler shot, but I’m good now. Aiba-chan!”

Aiba waves Nino’s insistence off, turning to see Jun has already near him, all prim and proper. “Matsujun, this is the best. Have you seen anything like this before? Have you? This is the very best.”

“Oh my god, what the hell is this? Aiba-san?” Jun stops short at the sight of crocodile before he lets out a gasp and kneels down to start petting. He turns to Aiba with a question and grin widely at Aiba’s raised eyebrows.

A silent challenge has been sent; Nino already starts recording, knowing that they will start from then on.

“Start from this, Matsujun,” Aiba says, not elaborating about what this is supposed to be. “Count backward from 5 then the camera is all yours.”

Jun blinks in effort to digest Aiba’s usual vague instructions; they always come off-handedly, giving him enough space to give his interpretation of the shoot while still providing enough boundaries of what Aiba wanted for the show. He nods his signal and starts counting backward.

Ohno goes to stand in front of Sho, and waits for Aiba to get behind Nino to peek at the viewfinder. He hums his approval when he found the record light already blinking.

Jun focuses on the papier mâché, catching Aiba’s movement signaling that they’re ready to start any nano second right now. He then glances to see Nino pans his camera toward the street and takes a deep breath.

Here it goes.

.

Nino shifts to adjust to his crouching stance and Jun turns toward the camera, giving his big goofy grin.

“People, I have made an important discovery,” Jun says, spreading his arm wide to point at the mouth of the crocodile papier mâché.

Nino’s camera follows in a smooth glide and he catches Aiba’s hand gesture, an “O”, meaning that they’re taking wideshot.

Jun continues. “This piece of art is found here in Koda town, Kanagawa prefecture. You cannot miss this giant croco, all green and cute, in front of this old shop. While most of you wonder what the hell of this atrocity doing in this town, I assure you it will be my first question to the gracious owner of the shop.”

He stands and Nino takes several steps back firmly, knowing there’s going to be Aiba, or at worst, Ohno on his back, making sure the filming go smoothly. He changes the shot to a medium, having Aiba changing the size of his “O” to a smaller one as a signal to Jun.

“I hope you’re seeing the scenery I’m seeing now because this doesn’t happen everyday, this isn’t around anywhere, only here in Koda town,” Jun turns to stare at the croco papier mâché again, giving Nino a good over the shoulder shot.

He turns coyly and stares straight into the camera just in time as Nino zooming out slightly to adjust, giving his crooked smile and a sly whisper. “Let’s check this shop together then. I bet you’re as excited about this as much as I do.”

Nino takes another set of backward steps, backing out almost to the side of the pavement, sending Aiba scattered to hold him in place.

Ohno dragging Sho to take few steps back and give the camera more room abruptly, causing Sho to jiggle his bags noisily.

Aiba turns sharply to the sound, scolding silently, to find Ohno’s slight bow of apology with his hand in front of panicked face Sho body as a shield.

Jun sees what happened, aims his stare at the back of the camera in reflex. He was, in split second, internally cursing himself for being so easily distracted but Nino then gives a subtle sign to urge him going and he relaxes and flashes his crooked smile. “Yes, yes, I know. We’re all excited, right? Let’s go then.”

Jun walks toward the door, knowing Nino will follow him, and reaches for the doorknob. He gives out another glance straight to the camera, repeating his signature gesture, and whispers, “Let’s go inside.”

He walks through the door, leaving the decision for Nino to follow him or not and stops at the doorway, the door closing behind him.

Nino doesn’t follow him inside and Aiba is half-shouting an okay outside the shop. Jun finds him standing awkwardly just by the door, no one was in sight inside the shop and he was already shivering with curiosity.

He can almost taste the sweet lingering air floating to fill the room; goddamn candy store.

.

“I can’t eat that much candies. Even for show only. Are you insane?” Jun shifts closer to Aiba, whispering his objection.

The shop owner, Momoko-san, is smiling over them just across the counter. She has been very accommodating and eager to be featured, which makes Jun and by extension the whole shoot even smoother.

“Excuse us for a minute, Momoko-san. Aiba replies to the smile with a brighter one, while nudging Jun with his elbow to do the same. He grabs Jun’s arm and tries to drag him back to the front of the store. “We’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

.

“Three kinds,” Aiba whispers, hands around Jun’s shoulder pulling both of them toward the front door.

“Aiba-kun,” Jun says, “you saw already how she’s very excited in filming and have shoved so far all those candies into my hand!”

“Three kinds. That’s all we need for camera. You can handle three kinds, can’t you?”

“She won’t allow me to take only three,” Jun says, insistent on wanting to draw the boundaries. “You know that.”

Aiba sighs, knowing that Jun has a point. They couldn’t escape from her insistent prying for them to consume as much of candies there is in the shop. “We need a change of plan then,” he says.

Jun unconsciously shifts closer into the shoulder brace and waiting for Aiba to continue.

“Let’s get Sho near you. He can eat all the candy offered, and you can act as if you’re going to order him to eat them all. It’ll be a good act and we can keep Momoka-san happy and the show entertaining. “

Jun frowns, considering the possibility. They haven’t done anything like this before but everyone has their share of participating on camera. Perhaps today is Sho’s turn. “You want a skit?”

“Not exactly a skit,” Aiba says, tilting his head as he thinks of the best way to approach the matter. “We’ll brief Nino and Sho. This could work. Both of you on camera is okay, and if it gets the shoot over fine, it should be okay.”

And now that Jun can see how it is going to pan later, he nods in agreement. “It might work. And I’m just going to agree to anything that could get me not eating those candies. Thinking about it has already sent my teeth throbbing.”

“We can’t have that.” Aiba tries to wink and fails as usual. “Let’s get with it then. I’ll talk to Nino first.”

“And I get Sho to come into the store.”

“Yes, you do that.” Aiba gives Jun several pats on the shoulder before letting him go to head over to where Nino has been waiting with the camera.

.

“Momoka-san, this is Sakurai Sho. He’s my manager,” Jun says, dragging Sho on one hand and smiling brightly toward Momoka-san.

Sho is still unsure of everything that Jun had told him sparsely before dragging him into the store. He automatically offers his hand to Momoka-san who then clutched it like a vise, pumping both their hands enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you, Momoka-san.”

“You’re okay too, just like this boy over here,” she says, pointing at Jun. “You want some candies?”

And if that sounds as creepy as it is, Jun knows that Sho will be around this time and he could always cower behind Sho’s lean back.

“Yes,” Sho answers in a small voice. He feels Jun already taking a step back and now he’s exposed to the old woman’s giddy smile, all those bright candies around them and unable to do anything but to offer a polite small; he hopes Nino hasn’t started recording. He hasn’t school his face to show appropriate expressions.

He’s going to get even with Aiba later. And with Jun. Or perhaps with Nino and Satoshi-kun while he’s at it; Sho knows a trap when he sees one but that doesn’t mean that he could easily escapes it.

.

 

Just when they starts to work smoothly as a team, their tempers turn the workflow onto the opposite direction.

.

Sho crowds Jun, setting along his small pouch with powder brush and lip-gloss sticking out of it, with worried expression and soft tch-ing sounds.

“Please stop that,” Jun says, sighing. He’s fully aware that it was entirely his fault for being late this morning. It has automatically sent Sho into a rushing mood almost the whole day by now.

.

Starting from the pick-up, Sho has been pulling a grumpy face when Jun showed up at their meeting place with huff breaths and shining face. He has had to sprint few blocks in order to get to the parking lot and Sho has been waiting, chain-smoking worriedly by the car.

“Jun—“ Sho begins; he stubs his cigarette at the sole of his shoe before throwing the bud to the makeshift ashtray he has made and placed on the roof of the car.

“I know. And I’m sorry. And you can scold me all the way to Kanagawa,” Jun says, breath uneven, as he circles the car to get to the passenger side door. “Let’s go. We’re late already. Or do you want me to drive? I can drive if you want.”

“I’ll drive.” Sho glares at him with a pout before collecting his cig, lighter, and ashtray on the top of the roof, walking to the nearby garbage bin and throwing all of them.

Seeing the attitude, Jun knows that Sho isn’t in the best mood. He won’t throw away everything if he is; the act alone has Jun rolls his eyes in silent. Either way, he deserves every bit of Sho’s sour face and scolding.

Or at first he thought so.

To be fair, he was only late for a half an hour; he had jumped straight from the couch where he crashed the night before to only grab his bag and jacket, slamming his apartment door close and sprinting his way toward the parking lot. Sho has set up for them to use the HQ car today. Jun has an important photo session that night and since HQ would want him to stay in fresh condition even after a long day of shooting, they granted Sho’s request to use the company car. The plan was to have a nice and relaxed drive.

Or at first they thought so.

.

The sun is still shy on the horizon and the traffic isn’t crazy yet as they passed the Tokyo interchange heading toward south. Somehow they have been sitting on silence for the last thirty minutes. If Sho would want Jun to have a quiet time to reflect on his mistake, Jun hopes that the man is relishing his victory.

Silent treatment is what Jun hates the most. He rather has Sho shouted at him, scolding him like a child, telling him to not stay up late and hang out with his friend. Or perhaps Sho could play, what Jun considers as, his dumb favourite album from his dumb disco idols at maximum level and let the car filled with heavy bass and thumping sounds. Anything would be better than the silence.

Somewhere after they passed the second tollbooth, Jun tries to apologize again. “I’m sorry, okay. I’m really sorry but could you please stop with the silence? It’s driving me mad.”

“Try waiting, and not having my phone answered for a half an hour.”

“I did send you a text.”

“Saying, on my way. 23 minutes after our scheduled time.”

Jun sighs. His plan of talking Sho out of his mad has backfired greatly. Now that Sho has an opening to talk about his anger, he wouldn’t be stopping.

This is even worse that the silent treatment, Jun just knows it.

“There’s 23 minutes of blank time when I’m trying to call you but you don’t answered. I was worried. I thought that I should have picked you up on your apartment instead of setting a meet in a parking lot just because I thought it’d be easier to get to the toll road after.

“I kept on thinking I probably should just have checked with you before I went to the meeting place. I should have been ringing your phone since early morning. Yeah. I should have picked you up in your apartment. What’s the use of easy access to the toll road when you don’t have your charge to do so?”

Jun stays silent, gradually fuming on the child-like scolding he receives from Sho. Perhaps silent Sho is better after all, Jun starts to regret his apology, because at least he doesn’t have to deal with harsh words.

“I said I’m sorry.”

Sho has opened his mouth to reply before he stops himself. He grips the steer wheel firmer and keeps his gaze on the road.

Jun continues. “I’m sorry, okay. I stayed up pretty late last night. I slept on the couch because I know I wouldn’t be able to wake up on time if I hit the bed. But I still dozed off after the alarm rang at 6AM. I thought I could afford a few more minutes, and then a few more minutes. The next thing I know, it was already 7.15 and I flew out of my apartment in full speed. I’m still late, and this is just a lame reason. But, I’m sorry. I’m sorry to make you worry, and I’m sorry now that this drive is not fun anymore. I’m all guilty and you’re all angry.”

Saying nothing in response, Sho speeds up and changes lane smoothly, his face is still stiff from anger.

Jun sighs and leans against his seat deeper; he has been wishing to get quick nap during the trip but now he is too alert to even drift off now.

They pass few of the cars on the right lane with silence still lingers in the car before Sho changes back to right lane and slows down a bit. Jun sees a sign of an exit, counting internally that he still has less than hundred kilometres they need to travel before they reach their destination.

The day hasn’t even started yet and it already sucks.

“I’m also sorry,” Sho says, unexpectedly soft.

Jun would have missed it if he weren’t unconsciously waiting for anything from Sho. He turns a surprise look at Sho. The man doesn’t look angry anymore, his expression has softened a little bit.

Jun hums in response, internally thankful that they probably don’t have to spend the ride in uncomfortable silence and unsettled argument.

“I was worried, that’s all,” Sho says. “You know how terrible I am when I got worried.”

“I do.”

Sho continues. “If you could get my shades on the front of my brown bag, I’d call this even.”

Jun raised his eyebrows at that. All caught up in uncomfortable sulk, they have been wearing any shades even if the sun is stronger now. He turns to reach to the backseat, pulling Sho’s bag closer and rummage for the shades. He finds the cap and pulls out the shades.

“Thank you.” Sho sighs happily when Jun hands him the pair and promptly fixing it on. “That’s so much better.”

Jun is regretting his being late even worse now because that means that he didn’t pack his shades last night. He even is using the contacts he neglected to take off last night before he crashed on the couch.

“I have another pair if you want,” Sho says, reading Jun’s mind perfectly. “Rummage further down and you’ll find one.”

“You are ridiculous,” Jun says as he gladly takes the offer and reaches back again to find the other pair.

“I know,” Sho says with a smile now.

Jun puts the shades on and, just like Sho a minute before, sighs happily at the comfort of it. He blinks his eyes to adjust the flare and consider himself lucky. If Sho wants to scold him again, he probably will be able to listen to every word and tells himself that he deserves the lecture.

“You’re hungry?” Sho says, glancing toward Jun for a second with a smile. And just like that, Jun knows for sure that he has passed his anger and now is making an obvious peace offering. “I don’t have anything but we can stop by the next rest area so we can grab something to eat.”

“Please,” Jun says, agreeing to the offer even without hesitation. “I missed breakfast.”

“I missed breakfast too,” Sho says with a grin. “I was almost late myself. I got to the meeting place a minute before 7AM. I thought you were already be there and ready to pull an upper hand on me all day. But you weren’t there yet and I was so happy to be able to beat you this time. Then 5 minutes later, I started to get worried when you haven’t showed up. It only got worse by the minute and by the time you came I was starting on my third cigarette.”

“I’m sorry.” Jun chuckles at Sho’s long rant. He reaches out to touch Sho’s shoulder to give a comforting pat.

Sho turns to shrug and reply the smile. “It's okay now. I think I sulk enough and you didn’t sleep well last night. I am tempted to give you coffee but perhaps you need a nap?”

Jun closes his eyes: Sho is too sweet sometimes. “I do need a nap, but let’s get that breakfast first.

“Yeah,” Sho says. “I am starving. And I need to get a new lighter and pack of cigarette.”

“That was such a royal act you did,” Jun says, smile ghosting on his lips. He has suspected that Sho was taking his frustration on the lighter and cigarette but having heard it confirmed from the man is equally sweet.

“It seems like a good thing to do at that moment. Then I realized that I have thrown away a good lighter and a still half-full cigarette pack. What a waste of money indeed.”

Jun chuckles. “Just for a statement.”

“Yeah, for a stupid statement.” Sho joins him with his loud laughs.

Jun suddenly feels so tired, now that Sho is done being mad at him. His body reminds him that he didn’t have enough sleep the night before and now that they are driving smoothly through. “How much farther till the next rest area?”

“We just pass one half an hour ago. It should be another half before another,” Sho says. He turns to see Jun has sagged further to his seat, slumping tiredly and he feels a bit guilty for taking his mad full throttle at Jun so early in the morning. He knows that Jun wasn’t his best on most morning. “You can drift off for a while. I’ll wake you when we get there. Or better, you can stay in the car and I’ll get us breakfast.”

“Sho-kun,” Jun says, eyes gleaming with gratefulness and fatigue behind his dark shades, “You are too good to me sometimes.”

Sho’s smile blooms widely, his side feature shadowed by morning lights, “I know.”

Jun’s eyes are already closing. He mutters his last words before he drifted off, “Problem is I do too.”

.

Yet it doesn’t get better when they arrived on location, after three hours of long drive deep to the suburb of Kanagawa.

Aiba and Nino are apparently not in their best mood either; while waiting for Jun to arrive on location, Ohno has reported, Aiba has been insistently trying to persuade Nino to do an afternoon shoot. Their original schedule was to cover the small restaurant until late midday and to head back to Tokyo by dusk but Aiba suggests that they could get a good eye-rolling yet dramatic shot of the shop against the dusk light.

“It’ll be beautiful, Nino,” Aiba says. “We should stay.”

Nino doesn’t like the option, especially since it’d be a non-refunded overtime. “No.”

“Come on. It’s not like everyday we got the chance to film a restaurant near the cliff. The result will be breath taking.”

“I’m still not going to be compensated for my work hour,” Nino says. “I am not interested.”

“You don’t have to be mean about overtime. I can treat your dinner. We’ll use production money, Ohno will deal with the false receipt. Come on.”

“No.”

Aiba is beginning to see the lost cause of his argument, knowing that once Nino has decided it’s very unlikely to have him change his mind. “You are no fun.”

“So be it,” Nino says, sounding a little hurt at the statement but making no effort to submit to Aiba’s request. He keeps on cleaning his already squeaky-clean grad lens, looking down and trying to ignore Aiba further. It shouldn't take much of Aiba to convince Nino to stay, he was already tempted, but he knows that if he submits to Aiba’s will this time, the man will try again later, with bigger claim.

Aiba stays still beside Nino, fiddling with his crumpled script and the hem of his shorts, partly trying to think of any other reason he could use as excuse to convince Nino to stay behind till later and partly sulking.

“Or can you just leave the camera set with us, I’ll film it myself.” Aiba says, a suggestion as his last desperate attempt. “I can have hours to set this up, so that’d be fine, right?”

Nino drops his lens, carefully, into its slot, setting it aside beside him on the parking lot chair and turns to Aiba with a glare. He almost growls when he stares fixedly to Aiba’s eyes. “It is not fine. It is never fine for you, no matter how many hours you have, to touch my cameras. Nothing is fine, Aiba-chan.”

“Nino—“

“Nobody but me can touch my camera. They come with me, you know, as a set, and if you don’t have me, you don’t have them. We’re a package, a frail package, so you fuck off with your stupid idea of breath taking scenery. I’m not going to stay here and film overtime. Not this afternoon, or any other day. You get me now?”

With a stricken face, Aiba nods slowly.

“Good,” Nino turns back, his breath uneven from the non-pause rant, “Now, get off my back and let me work.”

Aiba nods again, keeping his head down as he stands and walk to leave, muttering a soft apology.

Nino sighs. He reaches the lens slot and keeps it on his lap. He stares at the lens for a full minute before realizing that the warmth and energy that has been next to him the whole morning is gone now and he was left alone. It somehow stings.


	7. 6: Of Locations and the Governor

“Jun,” Sho says softly, startling him from his sleepy daze, “Jun!”

Jun lazily turns toward the sound, finding Sho’s face huddled close into his. He wants to lean back to avoid closeness but his brain doesn’t compute well enough at such ungodly early hours so he closes his eyes again in defense. “What?”

“We’re here and Aiba said he’s ready when you are.”

“I’m far from ready,” Jun grumbles. Even so, he’s already pressing his shirt down and trying to order his hand to scratch his cheek. “Very far.”

“Which I already told Aiba himself just now, but sunrise is within the next half an hour and he would want you to be ready when it’s approaching. Come on, I’ll help you.”

Jun only grumbles even more.

Sho has been chirpy this morning, considering that he showed at Jun’s doorstep at 3.30 AM in the morning, with two tall glass of steaming coffee and a tired eyes. He doesn’t even want to question the origin of the coffee and promptly grabbed his bag and followed Sho to the car. They have talked of having Jun taking the wardrobe home so he could show up on location without the need to do any costume change.

Costume is all ready and neat; it’s his face and entire being that is not.

“Satoshi-kun will be here soon to put your mic on. Come on. We have fresh hot coffee if you want.”

“I want my pillow.”

Sho smiles at that; sometimes Jun could turn unguarded and he likes it when the moment comes, but it wasn’t the time to drag oneself with cuteness. They need to work now. “You’ll have it later. Now, get yourself up for us, will you. Here, I’ll help you.”

Sho pulls Jun into a standing position, which doesn’t work very well because Jun refuses to stand on his own and he then finds the back of their van and leans himself against it. Sho frets about the clean surface and how Jun will get his costume dirty but he is beyond caring at the moment.

It’s 4.15 in the morning and Jun thinks he has the right to be extremely difficult.

“Can I leave you alone for a while so I can get you your coffee?”

Jun grunts, eyes still closed, and nods.

“Jun, come on.” Sho is about to pull him up and get him to wake up properly before leaving him when Ohno comes swiftly and with expression as sleepy as Jun at the moment. “Oh, Satoshi-kun, glad you’re here. I was going to get some coffee for Jun. I can leave him with you for a while, can’t I? Satoshi-kun?”

Ohno grunts, all the same with Jun, and suddenly Sho find the whole situation so funny he is hiccupping with laughter.

“I cannot believe that you two are sleepwalking to work.”

Both grunts together, and Jun opens …his eyes and Ohno stares back at him and they shared another grunt. Sho rolls his eyes and gently nudges Jun on the shoulder. “You behave with Satoshi-kun now.”

Ohno lets out a sleepy snort.

“And you too,” Sho says, turning to Ohno who has already have his mic on his hands but somehow stopping before he could reach toward Jun’s cardigan. “None of you is getting coffee if you don’t behave.”

“Shut up, Sho-kun, just get going. We’ll be fine.”

Ohno chuckles. He then silently reaching for Jun’s cardigan and begins to put the mic on just as usual.

Sho waits till Ohno is getting a good hold of Jun before going to get the coffee.

“He’s such a chirpy jerk this morning,” Jun says, opening his eyes when he feels Ohno tugging the end of his shirt and clamping the transmitter on the back of this belt.

“He sure is,” Ohno says, softly as he focuses on securing the small cable under Jun’s shirt. “But he’s bringing us coffee so I guess he’ll be forgiven?”

“Yeah.”

“Done.” Ohno smiles sleepily at Jun. “Aiba is having a coffee conversation with Nino. We should have ours too before work.”

Jun smiles sleepily right back. He leans back further against the seat, Sho’s going to take a while and he can get another nap. He scoots a little bit, signalling that Ohno is welcomed to join him and wait for Sho to comes back, then probably scolds then a bit for napping on the job, but it’s okay.

.

“Your face is asking for a sashimi bento today, so here, I brought you one. Go ahead.”

Jun could only blink in confusion as he stares down on the fancy bento box Ohno has just put on his hands. They have been doing lunch break for a while and he doesn't feel like having lunch, knowing that their menu today consists cheeseburger and lots of greasy fries—damn Nino and his unreasonable request, but Aiba and Sho don’t seem to mind, and Ohno is ready to serve. “What?”

“You don’t want the cheeseburger and fries set, right?” Ohno says, leaning his head as he intently staring to Jun with a knowing smile.

“But how—?”

“I just do.” Ohno’s smile just getting wider and Jun can only smile back in return.

“Thank you?”

“You’re welcome,” Ohno says. “Lunch break will be over in 30 minutes. I’ll come to get you when they are ready to shoot again. Enjoy.”

Jun is left speechless with a sashimi bento on his lap.

.

 

“Why don’t you just go to sleep?”

Jun can hear Sho doesn't’ even bother to muffle his yawn.

“You have photo shoot tomorrow at 9. You need to rest. You know how the board usually want their pictures, they are hiring the same Kuroki-san and he’ll make you pose with hideous costumes. I wonder what he’ll prepare this time. I didn’t get any run down, that old fart. He must have planned something and knowing that I didn’t know his plan must satisfy him to no end."

“It’s getting late, very late. I no longer can feel my toes. Jun, why can I feel my toes?”

Jun snorts. “Perhaps because you’re old and ready to shrivel to die just from lying down on your old creaky bed?”

Sho groans sleepily. “Why are you being so mean to me at this time of day? Isn’t enough that I got the cold shoulder all morning today? You weren’t exactly nice, you know.”

“I already apologized for that. Why are you bringing them up now?” Jun hears Sho turns about in his bed, shifting perhaps to accommodate the phone in his ears now, but definitely not to entertain Jun by getting up the bed and turning on the television set; Jun reminds him. “And I can hear that you’re not going to turn on that TV, Sho-kun. That’s just mean of you right back.”

Sho could only groans louder. “Why?”

“Because.” Jun chuckles. His eyes are fixed on his television set. He was channel surfing just a half an hour ago but the program should start any minute now. He’s lying on his bed, all buried with blanket nicely—since his air conditioner has come back to full power, he’s been living nicely. “Sho-kun, come on, humor me.”

“I’ll humor you. I’ll humor you when it’s not,” Sho pauses, and Jun can see him turning to check his alarm clock. “Fuck. It’s 10 past 2. Jun, seriously!”

“Seriously.” Jun rolls his eyes at the question. “This is my episode. My first episode ever. I will never get this chance of flailing about my being in television again. From now on it’s going to be different, it’s never going to be the first again.”

There’s no respond coming from Sho’s end but Jun continues. “And we can always celebrate the tenth, the fiftieth, the hundredth. We can never get the first again.” A pause. “Sho-kun!”

Sho must have been startled, or Jun has shouted loud enough to get Sho’s attention back. “What?”

“You’re not listening!”

“I am listening,” Sho says. “You’ll know when I’m not listening. You’ll hear a dial tone. That’s when you know that I’m not listening, perhaps because I passed out of exhaustion and just die.”

“You’re no fun.”

“I’m no fun after 2 AM, and I think that’s normal,” Sho says harshly before he changes his tone and tries to talk Jun out of his excitement. “Please sleep. Please. Or at least, please let me sleep. You don’t have to be ready till 10 AM, I know, but I need to go to work at 8. Please just spare me on this, Jun. Please.”

“Did that some begging I just heard?”

Sho sighs. “Whatever you want to call it, I’ll say yes to it. Just please. I already set my recorder, I am going to watch you first thing in the morning, even before I had my morning coffee. What else do you want?”

“Are you sure?” Jun does feel sorry for Sho that he needs to go to the office so early in the morning, and it isn’t really his place to ask Sho to keep him company at this time of night. His first episode still warrant a celebration, but perhaps he could deal with not having one right this very moment. “Okay, okay then. I’ll let you go. You can go back and have that beauty sleep so you’ll be all fresh tomorrow and could perform your work excellently.”

Sho groans again before breaking into small hiccups of chuckles. “Those are supposed to be my line. Damn you.”

Jun laughs at that. The commercial was showing and it’s almost time soon. He’ll need to concentrate and watching the show in its entirety anyway; he’ll better let Sho go to sleep and enjoy the accomplished feeling himself. “Okay, I’m hanging up.”

Sho hums on the other line. Jun suspects that the man’s eyes are already closed since their conversation began half an hour ago, so he responded shortly with another “okay” before hanging up first. Sho will probably complain about it tomorrow but he doesn’t care.

.

The episode was horrible. The music is horrible. Jun was so stiff and the only consolation was the fact that the camera work is steady, firm and smooth.

.

“I’m not going to ask what you want of me right now. Do you know how important all this are?”

Aiba tries to calm Jun. they are going sort-of live in 10 minutes and the man was all over the rim nervous. “I do, Matsujun. I really do. That’s why I want you to know that we’re here with you. You’re not doing this alone.”

“Yet, I’m going to be on the frame with the governor. Do you know how much that making me nervous right now?”

“It’s just the governor,” Nino says, not looking to Jun though, he’s busy wiping the lens of the camera—which is the tenth time he’s been doing it since morning, a true sign of his own nervousness. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Jun swallows his retort; it’s not the time to get testy with Nino and then some more. He isn’t sure he could hold off his own nervousness and it’s all could only in hell if he is as much as raising his voice.

Ohno is the one who steps over to get Nino. “Here,” he says, “the additional cloth you asked.”

Nino murmured his thanks, keeping his eyes down and focused on hi camera, and takes the cloth without any ceremony. Ohno stays near Nino, both seems to grow a deep interest on the already sparkling lens and stays that way.

Sho is unexpectedly calm, yet he hasn’t been saying anything since they arrived at the City Hall. Not that any of the other noticed.

“I’m going to review the script again while we’re waiting,” Jun says, deciding that it would not be best to wait up standing up by the aisle. It only intensifies his nervousness.

“Let’s sit by the visitor chairs,” Sho finally says, “we still have another 8 minutes or so, right?”

“Yes,” Aiba says. He turns to Sho, somehow grateful that there’s someone among them who are not openly nervous. “Shall we?”

Jun turns to Sho and joins the move to the chair. Nino moves too with his little stall, and together they occupy a long leather chair. Sho sits between Aiba and Jun and they wait together in silence.

“Breathe,” Sho says, both to Jun and Aiba who now share the same look of sickness. “It’s going to be alright.”

“You don’t know that,” Aiba says, regulating his breathing that has been quickened just now. “He might not like my question, he might not like how we approach this. We’re no one in this entertainment world, and he’s been kind enough to have us, to let us hold interview with him, even at such a mundane issue.”

“Tourism is important,” Sho says. 

On the other line, Nino snorts softly, but hasn’t done any eye contact yet. Aiba takes a glance and he could see Ohno’s hand has risen toward Nino’s shoulder to give it comforting rub.

“You’re so funny sometimes, Sho-kun,” Jun says. He’s been reading his script all night yesterday, but nothing beats nervousness and the more he reads stuff, the more he wants to get everything over with. “I don’t think I can handle the mistakes I’m going to make.”

Sho smiles lightly. “It’s okay to make mistake, you just need to correct it and then go on with your next question.”

“Aren’t you Mr. Calm and Composed this morning?” Nino says, finally getting Sho as his target—which if he knows better, should have been realized as something Sho deliberately done. He wouldn’t want to add Jun’s nervousness and everyone’s really, so he’s doing all the soothing this morning.

“You guys are too nervous for your own good. Everything is going to be fine,” Sho says. “The governor is a nice person.”

“And you know this how?” Aiba asks.

At that moment, the assistant comes up from the end of the aisle. He signaled Aiba to get ready and they all stand up in unison—which is quite funny now if they consider the act later after the interview, but no one seems to care.

“You can proceed to his chamber. If you just follow me.”

“Thank you,” Aiba says, nodding politely in response and leads the way to follow the assistant. “Let’s go guys.”

Nino goes first, closing his distance to Aiba, getting his camera and bag with him. Ohno waits for Jun before walking with him, few small bags and pouches strapped into his waist.

Sho walks at the back of the line.

The assistant opens a double door and they went in to a room, a man is already waiting behind the table. He stands up when he sees the guest has entered, greeting them with a smile.

“Welcome. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. There was something I have to take care first, but now I’m all yours. Please, sit down.”

Aiba was the one who recovered, and he took the lead, once again, for them to sit (only Jun and Aiba actually).

“I’m going to need time to set up the camera,” Nino says, nudging Ohno to help him with stuff.

The Governor smiles. “Go ahead. I suppose you would want to decide the angle too.”

Nino nods, and then goes to set up the camera.

The Governor’s attention went back to the other three, Jun and Aiba sitting down, and Sho stands up by their chairs.

“I’ve been briefed by my assistant and I don’t think there’s any problem. You can just go ahead. I suppose you want to keep everything light?

“Yes,” Jun says, finally finding his voice. “If that’s fine with you.”

“It’s fine with me,” the governor says, laugh on his voice, “you don’t have to be so nervous, you know.”

Jun and Aiba laughs bitterly, but they felt the warmth on the light scold, and feel the smile reach them.

“I’m sorry,” Aiba says. “We are from a casual program, and I haven’t been in an important interview before, at least as important as yours.”

“Let’s shred the unnecessary formality.” The governor laughs again. “We’re doing this for our prefecture, right? I’m a supporter for good tourism, so I can say we’re all just doing our job?”

“If you say that,” Aiba says, less nervous now. “It’s just you are a governor and all, and…”

“Oh, stop that. Haven’t Sho-chan told you that there’s nothing to worry about me? I don’t bite.”

“Sho-chan?” 

All heads turn to Sho, who’s keeping his gaze to the floor. His face is red, and when he lifts his face, his eyes shines with humour. “Oda-san.”

“Oda-san?” 

The governor chuckles with amusement, turning around to see everyone’s gaze still fix on Sho. He doesn’t look comfortable with the statement, but he doesn’t give another say on the fact.

“I see you haven’t been telling your friend.”

“I have nothing to tell my friend about,” Sho says. “This is just a work, Oda-san. I’m sorry if we trouble you.”

“No trouble at all,” Oda-san says. “You from all people should know about that.”

“I do apologize.”

Oda-san looks around to see that none has stop staring at Sho who by the minute stands even more awkwardly by the chair and pity him. “Okay then, shall we start?”

The question seems to startle and bring everyone to reality. Nino gets back to setting his tripod and light stand but not before giving Sho a “I’ll question you later” look. Ohno tilts his head in curiostity, giving a small smile before going back to help Nino.

Aiba and Jun still stare at him, for a while, and Sho needs to wave at them and signaling that they have Oda-san to interview, better not wasting any time. Aiba blinks in realization and then nudges Jun to focus back on their script. Jun still stares at Sho for a little while, giving a hint of disbelief of him not telling about knowing Oda-san, and somehow a little bit more confident because he knows Sho is there and it’s actually okay.

They start the interview within 2 minutes.

.

“You!”

Sho could only grin as the others try to glare in both awe and scold.


	8. 7: Of Charm and Kendama Factory

They are led to the back room to meet an even bigger space. Ohno has the pleasure to get a good look of Aiba and Nino with their mouth almost hung open taking the room they’ve just entered. It is exactly like what he did the first time he went into the room. He shares a grin with Ueda-chan, as they both let Aiba and Nino wanders around the room.

“I know they’re going to do that, I wouldn’t even apologize,” Ohno says.

Ueda-chan chuckles. “You young people are so easy.”

Nino goes down to the far window, starting to try them open and close, making a mental note of what needs more and less. Aiba walks back toward them with his brilliant smile, a nod to Ohno silently acknowledging his hard work—to which Ohno can feel his heart soar somehow, and to Ueda-chan as pure gratitude.

“Ueda-san, I couldn’t thank you enough for allowing us to shoot here,” Aiba says. He beams as she gives him a shy nod. From what he saw few minutes ago, the old woman has been all over Ohno and doesn’t show any shyness. Now, he either needs to be flattered or displease at the different treatment.

“It’s fine,” she says, looking to Ohno, who returns the smile.

Ohno nudges her playfully. “It’s still very nice of you, Ueda-chan.”

She giggles at that; they both then giggle cutely.

Aiba watches amusedly as they scoots closer while they’re stand, like a pair of kids conspiring on something they’ve hidden from their parents.

“Oh-chan, your friend is extremely handsome,” she whispers to Ohno, loud enough for Aiba to hear and flush appropriately.

“I can hear that,” Aiba softly says.

They are ignoring him now, especially Ohno. “He’s also very kind.”

They giggle again and Aiba could only laugh.

Nino comes around him and finds the pair is still giggling conspiratorially. He aims a questioning gaze to Aiba who just shrugs smugly over the two talking about him. 

“I think she has a crush on me,” Aiba says, in the same volume of whispering she had employed before, all jolly. “But let’s not tell her that I have had a crush on her since the first time our eyes met.”

The giggles intensify. Ueda-chan actually goes around Ohno to hide her blush behind Ohno’s back.

Nino smiles in return, and going with the game, whispering to Aiba loud enough for Ohno to hear. “But I need to get my cameras.”

Ohno knows that it’s time to work, but he still keeps the giggles. “Ueda-chan, I need to get to work. I hope it’s okay to leave you for a little while. Aiba-chan is going to keep you company.”

She actually squeals a bit before nodding and letting her hand off from clutching onto Ohno’s sleeves.

“Take your time,” Aiba says rather coyly, seeing off Nino and Ohno going toward the door. “I’ll wait here with Ueda-san and try my luck.”

She beams. “Oh, you.”

Aiba beams back.

.

Jun asks while pointing at the stacks under the table. “All these are handmade?”

Ueda-chan nods shyly.

Jun is apparently not as smooth as the others in getting the giggle out of Ueda-chan. He’s going to play that for camera instead. After all, Ueda-chan is more impressed of Jun rather than Aiba. Aiba is gorgeous, I know, but Jun is something else.

“You need to get a grip, Ueda-chan,” Ohno says.

Now she giggles loudly now that she’s within a familiar company. “How can I be in my right mind when that guy is standing so close, smells heavenly and continuously siding his glances toward me.”

Rolling his eyes playfully, Ohno giggles back.

.

Jun tries his hand on smoothening wood, getting them into the right shape, dealing with balance, having good time. Ueda-chan finally softens, getting her giggles for Jun too. They spent almost the whole afternoon on the shop, forced into getting late lunch, even at Ohno’s and Aiba’s refusal. Ueda-chan insists on feed them before they leave.

By then, they’re talking more about the history in a more relaxed way with her being more open and closer to Jun and Aiba.

Nino is fast, and he knows that they will get good stuff here. When Aiba realizes the same thing, he only needs as much as casting a side-glance to Nino and the man has the camera ready.

“Ueda-chan,” Aiba says, scooting farther to give some space for Jun and the woman to be center frame. “You wouldn’t mind if we record this, would you? You can just chat up with Matsujun. The rest of us will be a little bit out of the way.”

“I can’t talk to the rest of you?”

“Of course you can,” Aiba says, turning to see Ohno and Sho giving thumbs up to Ueda-chan while stuffing their mouth with more food. “We’re just going to be here. Matsujun will ask question.”

If it’s their first episode, Jun will be mad and the shoot would be ruined. But he has gained enough confidence now, and he knows what Aiba wants so he could push through and talk to Ueda-chan.

.

“My late husband was a stoic man.”

Jun gives him a soft smile. “I’ve been told that I’m stoic. All the time.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re nothing in comparison to my late husband. He was very strict and such a hard worker. What I have right now here with him was his legacy. That’s why I’m going to uphold tradition and continue with the workshop.

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning. I didn’t know much about kendama since I’ve always watched him without getting involved. But slowly, I got the hang of it and here I am now.”

“Running the workshop alone. That’s admirable, Ueda-san.”

She laughs. “You are only using –san now that the camera is running again.”

Jun smirks. “Well, you need to be polite on television, it’s a must. But I’ll call you Ueda-chan later when they’re not filming anymore.”

Pink flush runs through her face, prettily and Aiba knows that they’re getting a good footage this time.

Jun scoops another spoon of rice, giving a chance to Ueda-chan to fret and slides more plate toward him, and the other two at the end of the table who has done nothing but shovelling food like a couple who hasn’t eaten all day.

When she already finished with the table, sitting and watching Jun finishing his bowl, he asks another question.

.

Back in the workshop, an assistant comes to help but it is mostly Ueda-chan who has all the information.

She explains the basic of their operation in the workshop to Jun and Aiba, sitting on the center stool with Jun in front of him and Aiba beside him listening intently to every detail. “It’ll all goes back around, repeating the process.”

“Thank you,” Aiba says, motioning Jun to take the lead. “We’ll just follow your instruction, Ueda-chan. Matsujun here will be ready to try whatever you’re allowing us to do here.”

“You can get around and try everything, “ she says. “I don’t mind. Some of the techniques are easier than the other, but everything is doable. Even for a new guy like you.”

Jun smiles. “I’ll be all yours, Ueda-chan.”

She giggles again at the charm. The intensity of giggles has been decreasing the last few minutes, but she’s definitely charmed by Jun and Aiba. “You wish you are,” she says smugly.

“I’ll be over there behind the camera helping Nino then,” Aiba says, looking pleased. “We’ll be ready in few minutes.”

Ueda-chan nods, turning to see Jun who’s all ready with his camera smile and costume; he knows Ohno would need to do a sound check with his mic soon, but he’ll let the other working on the camera arrangement while he waits with Ueda-chan.

“So, Matsumoto,” Ueda-chan says.

“Just call me Jun, Ueda-san,” Jun corrects her. “Or just like everyone, you could call me Matsujun.”

“I’m not calling someone who calls me Ueda-san with an abbreviation.” She fakes a pout; her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“That’s a sly way to get me calling you Ueda-chan,” Jun says.

“Yet it works. So for all the better.” She smiles as she grabs a sharp tool from the end of the table. “Have you ever do wood before?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t had any chance at woodwork before.”

“Kids today. You need to do this once in a while. It should be good for you.” She sighs at the memory. “My late husband used to do this when he wanted to relax, all the concentration and effort poured into a piece of wood. The process of making a piece edgeless and smooth gives the best achievement feeling, he said.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“It is beautiful, indeed. We might only making a simple toy, one people took for granted at most time.” She turns and Jun can see her fiery eyes, full with enthusiasm. “But kendama is a work of art, and we will keep it that way.”

At loss for word, Jun could only nod.

“You play?”

Reaching to get one, Jun shakes his head. “No really. I only have a few memory of holding this when I was in elementary. But I didn’t have anything else.”

“I’ll give you one as souvenir later,” Ueda-chan says. “You should take your time to play once in a while.”

Jun feels that she was no longer talking specifically about kendama, but he ignored to implication.

Aiba waves his script paper from across the room to catch Jun’s attention. Nino’s already behind his viewfinder, tripod spread and Ohno just right behind him.

“I think we’ll be ready to go in a minute,” turning back to Ueda-san, Jun points at the crew. “I’m ready when you are though.”

“You call it, and I’ll go on with what we’ve practiced just now. Yoroshiku, Matsujun.”

This time, Jun is the one who gives her a wide grin. “Right back at you, Ueda-chan.”

.

“Ueda-chan has been kind enough to give us a private tour around the workshop.”

Medium shot with them two on the center of the large room. Tables around them are littered with details of woodwork.

They both are walking to the farthest table.

“Actually, everything starts simple.” Ueda-chan picks up a block of wood, raw and ridged from the table and hands it to Jun who picks it up and starts observing the piece. “We usually try to use the wood at its driest state. After drying them in the oven, you usually could see how crisp they are.”

Jun knocks the wood a few times on the table, while running his fingers onto it.

“It’s easier to start smoothen a piece if it’s perfectly dry. You can get them patterned according to the design.”

Jun leads Ueda-chan to the next table.

Nino and Ohno are moving back at Jun’s signal, already providing the space. Aiba holds the monitor closely, nodding unconsciously approving Jun’s approach and Nino’s treatment.

“Here, we have the design.”

Ueda-chan shows the pattern, at perfect timing, Nino takes off his focus from Jun and moves to follow Ueda-chan’s direction, holding few seconds on the design blueprint on the table before panning up to get the two back on frame.

“This is pretty old,” Jun says, running his fingers on the old paper, blurred with use.

“This is one of the original designs my late husband drew,” Ueda-chan says, “one of my most prized possessions.”

Jun nods.

“All the kendamas produced here comes or followed this blueprint. We focused on precise design and beauty, so this design is very important.”

“I can also see that you’re still using the old method. I’ve read that most of kendamas these days are mass-produced on factory. But here you’re still doing one by one by hand.”

“According to the blueprint,” Ueda-chan says. “Every single details of it.”

Jun comments. “I find that really admirable.”

“Not as much admirable as being very detailed,” Ueda-chan says, brushing off the compliment but seems pleased otherwise. “There’s nothing much we could be proud off. And if we have to stick to tradition to keep our quality control checked, then, I have no problem with old methods.”

“Have you ever compared your kendama with the mass-produced one?”

“I once did.”

“What do you think then?”

“While all the smoothness is the same, still there’s something missing form a mass-produced product. We offer details. The warmth and sweat only a pair of hands could offer; fine and intricate.”

“That’s very deep coming from a kendama story, Ueda-chan,” Jun says, trying to lighten the mood. The conversation about mass-production has turned the whole conversation into something serious. That wouldn’t bring good smile, that he knows.

“You asked me before we begin if I have ever played kendama before. Of course all kids in Japan has already at least tried once. Or twice just like me. But do you yourself ever play kendamas?”

Ueda-chan lets out a chuckle. Unexpectedly, she nudges Jun playfully, leaning a little bit closer to Jun coyly before answering. “Of course, I have. I’m very good at it. What were you implying?”

“Can you give us a demonstration? Something for we kids today who doesn’t know they beauty of playing kendama, a hand-made kendama?”

“You flatterer.” She laughs this time, shoving Jun playfully.

Jun smiles back, grabbing one of the kendamas lying on the table and holding it out to Ueda-chan. She takes it and unrolls the thread. “You, kids today, watch this.”

Jun waits until she’s ready, watching with a smile on his face.

She gives good twists and hefts the ball into the place a few times. Each time, Jun gives a loud compliment, and an amused clap of hands. That spurs Ueda-chan even more and she forgets about the camera and starts giving a performance for Jun to enjoy.

Nino switches back and for between wide and close, capturing the smile of amused Jun watching Ueda-chan who is all laugh, with a dear expression. He moves back to get a long medium, getting the exact moment when Ueda-chan fails to catch the ball. Jun laughs but cheers her on.

At one point, Ohno turns to Aiba, seeing his satisfied expression on seeing Jun in his element with Ueda-chan. He actually wanted to look back and finds Sho, whom he knows is back there with his bags and observing them filming. What has been a hard start slowly getting into a good turn.

He almost forgot that he was feeling left out, frustrated, tired and all this morning. All he knows is that he is good now, all is good. Nino changes the shot again, and then Aiba calls out cut.

Ueda-chan is still glowing for the rest of their time there.

.

“That was great, Matsujun.” Aiba cannot stop chanting his praise to Jun as they get back to town. “You work her pretty good back there and we got all this gorgeous footage. Right, Nino?”

“Yeah.” Nino isn’t as sulky as usual now. After all who can stay sulky after a satisfying day of work?

The shoot ran well enough that no one is actually complaining. Ohno does his best today, almost making up for everything else he screwed up the other day.

Aiba gives Nino a poke. “Come on, it’s definitely worth more than just a “yeah”.

“Oh shut up,” Nino says, in time with avoiding said poke. “It was a good shot, I have to admit.”

“Thanks, Nino.” This time it was Jun who said his praise. He knows that Nino has been satisfied because today was actually the first time he wasn’t hearing a ‘tsk’ sound from behind the camera—the sound Nino usually makes when he’s annoyed at something that doesn’t fit or doesn’t work well on frame.

Nino hums, seemingly nonchalant, from his seat at the back. He glances briefly at Jun to blink his gratitude before going back to his phone.

Sho catches the whole thing with glee. It has been one of the best shoot they’ve ever been into. “Should we celebrate then?”

“Celebrate? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I know it will be a bit late when we got back to town but it won’t be that late. We can drop by somewhere to grab a few drinks.”

Everyone is looking at each other once, twice before it’s Nino who speaks first. “I’m in.”

Aiba goes excited in record time. “Me too.”

Sho turns to Jun who gives a appreciative smile and an excited nod.

All eyes turn to Ohno, waiting for his answer, but they already know the answer. What they didn’t expect was his comment.

“I’ll pay.”

“What?”

“I’ll pay.”

“Are you joking? What kind of statement is that?” Aiba says, full with disbelief. No one is still thinking that Ohno has not worked hard enough to compensate his fault at the previous week. He had done great work today. “We’re going together, we’re paying together.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Sho says, knowing that Ohno merely done that out of guilt. “Except if you’re having a birthday or something?”

Aiba laughs. “His birthday is in November.”

“Is that so?” Jun is amused by the development of their conversation. “When exactly.”

“The 26th, but that’s not what this is about. I want to pay—“

“—and you will, at the time of your birthday. Save that money, Oh-chan,” Nino says this time with finality clear in his tone. “You’re going to need every cent of it because we won’t hold back.”

“Yes,” Sho adds. “We’re going all the way out on November then.”

Aiba says, agreeing with Nino. “And for now, we’re going to get some dinner and beers.”

Jun says. “That sounds just right.”

“Just right.”

Ohno casts a grateful glance toward everyone, one by one looking straight into their eyes. He knows he’s forgiven and it’s a great feeling. “Thank you guys.”

Jun concludes it best. “No, thank _you_.”


	9. 8: Of Mistake, Scold, and Praise

Ohno walks back and forth in silent, picking up the scattered stuff. Nino has taken most of the camera bits to the car and Ohno is cleaning up the area.

He takes one look at Aiba who’s still sitting on silent in the stool. Jun stands next to him awkwardly waiting. Sho is just right behind Ohno and they shared a look. Aiba and Jun needs to talk, the shoot has been terrible and they need to get it together.

They walks away leaving the two; Ohno has already taken off Jun’s mic and Sho has everything ready for Jun when he’s done and gone back to the car. They can wait, with Nino and perhaps Sho could try to strike conversation with Nino.

Aiba and Jun don’t speak to each other. Jun just waits; he knows that Aiba has something to say to him. He knows that he pretty much botched the episode, their second episode. He was so sure of himself from getting it right (what’s right? He doesn’t even know anymore, he saw satisfied smile from Aiba, a nod from Ohno, a mild eye-roll from Nino and he thought he was doing great).

Apparently he was wrong.

(he botched the shoutengai? Oh, irony!)

The sun is going down, they should’ve headed back home but Aiba isn’t moving. He sat there, hunched and just frustrated.

“Aiba,” Jun says, trying to get this over with as soon as possible. Aiba has full right to scold him, and he is filled with guilt himself. Nothing went well today, and it’s mostly his fault. Jun knows when he needs to reflect on his mistake and it’s just a beginning. He would never forget today, the worst day in his short filming career. “I’m so sorry.”

Aiba only sighs. He shakes his head, taking deep breath. His lips open and close, he wants to say things but he doesn’t, instead he just buries his face on his palms again.

“I messed up. Real bad. I can’t even begin to say sorry, but I’m truly sorry.”

Aiba sighs again, still not giving out any response.

Jun doesn’t know what else he could do to salvage the situation and assuage his guilt, so he says more: “I disregard you direction. I didn’t follow the script strictly enough. I didn’t listen. Yes, that’s my biggest mistake, I didn’t listen to any of you guys.”

“Jun,” Aiba says, deep and soft, exasperated and frustrated.

Standing even more stiffly on Aiba’s side, he nods. “Yes.”

“I know you’re sorry,” Aiba continues. He stands slowly, folding his stool, holding it on and stares straight into Jun’s awaiting face. “I know but—.”

Jun can only wait as Aiba closes his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. He doesn’t seem in control of himself. In fact he doesn’t seem like Aiba, the usual Aiba whose eyes are shining and mouth quirking with smile. It scares Jun, somehow.

“Let’s go back,” Aiba says, quite suddenly. It surprises Jun, he was ready to deal with everything Aiba needs him to do today. He is ready to grovel, to do a reshoot, to do anything to make up for his mistakes.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Aiba walks past him. “They are already waiting for us. We’ll be holding everyone’s back. That’s no good. Let’s go.”

When Aiba doesn’t do anything else but walking past him, Jun is stunned enough to stay rooted on his spot. Aiba is still mad, he’s sure of that, but isn’t it better to deal with what they need to deal right now rather than to wait till later?

“Wait,” Jun calls out. He jogs to get to Aiba who doesn’t walk to fast, taking his time to stride back toward the car. “Aiba, I thought we were going to talk about what happened? Listen, I’m so sorry for everything today and I can’t even offer—“

“Shut up,” Aiba cuts him, tone low and threatening, as he stops on his track and turns to face Jun, effectively shutting him up in an instant. “You are extremely sorry today, all you can offer is probably just some grovel. I’m extremely pissed off, I am so angry that I can punch you in the face right now.”

Jun blinks in shock, staring back at Aiba, seeing the eyes has gone wild with anger. He could see Aiba trying to restrain himself from doing more, and he finally nods.

“But you grovelling and I’m punching your face won’t solve anything at the moment. You did terrible at work today. I am frustrated at work today. The others are waiting to go home. So let’s just go home right now.”

“But—“

“No. No but. Unless you want me to punch your pretty face right this moment,” Aiba says, turning away from Jun and starts walking again. “That’s very tempting but I’m not going to give in.”

Jun goes to walk along side to keep up as he listens to Aiba’s rambling.

“We’re going to get home. We're going to get drunk. You are going to be in my office tomorrow, 8 sharp, with a nasty hangover or sleepless state. I don't give a fuck. We’ll deal with this tomorrow,” Aiba says, with finality this time. The car is just around the corner and Aiba could see the other is waiting by the car. “Understand?”

Jun nods, even if Aiba couldn’t see him. “I understand.”

“Good.”

“I’ll be in your office tomorrow. 8 sharp.”

“Good,” Aiba says. “I’ll be waiting, then you can properly say you had been listening to me. Your director.”

That was very low of Aiba, and it hits Jun right through the heart. He deserves it, Jun tells himself, he deserves even harsher comments, so he’s taking in what he could. Sarcasm from Aiba hurts like hell and that should put Jun on his place for now.

When they arrive at the car, Aiba hands Ohno the stool he’s been carrying, as Ohno proceeds to put it on the trunk.

Nino takes one look on Aiba’s face and he knows. He hops into the car, knowing they will head back home now, in silence, with thick air of guilt and anger. He takes out his earphone and console and settles on the far side of backseat.

Aiba sits on the passenger street and just leans back with his eyes closed.

Ohno goes in after, taking the back seat with Nino and curls himself.

Sho watches Jun’s stricken expression as he climbs on the car, and lets it be. Jun will talk to him if he needs it but he certainly doesn’t need Sho talking to him right now. He probably doesn’t need anyone to talk to him at the moment. Sho lets him be and just be around in case Jun needs him.

The car starts, they’re going home.

.

Next morning, Aiba sleepily drags himself to his cubicle and finds Jun already waiting, standing stiffly by the low wall.

“Why don’t you take a seat? How long have you been waiting?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I just went here. I can’t stand the silence at my place.”

“You could have been waiting while sitting down. You know where the coffee is, right?”

Jun nods.

Aiba shrugs and goes in to his space, signalling Jun to get a chair himself. “That’s how guilty you are?”

Jun nods again.

“This is beginning to get pathetic. I’m don’t like you like this.”

“Aiba, I’m sorry.” Jun could only sighs, trying really hard to not just nod again. He lifts his hand in front of Aiba who is a split second away from protesting again. “I don't know how to handle this guilt, okay? I just don’t. And I’ve been feeling terrible since last night. Sho tried to take me out drinking but I refused. I wanted to drink at home last night but I kept on thinking that I didn’t have the right to call yesterday as a good day, and I can’t stop thinking what I should have done yesterday, why I didn’t do as you told me, why I can’t just do what I have to do. Why I risked so much in jeopardizing the whole shoot when we only have one chance.”

Jun stops, a little bit out of breath, staring straight to Aiba whose face has grown more and more amused as he speaks. ‘

Aiba gives his first smile, the one that gives Jun so much relief. At least Aiba is smiling and that’s a good start.

“Is that all then?”

“No, that doesn’t even cover half of it. What I was trying to say was—“

“I know,” Aiba cuts him again this time, but not without venom. “I know, Matsujun.”

Jun nods. Now that Aiba has cut him he doesn’t know what else he could say. He felt drained and tired. He shouldn’t have forgone a good night sleep.

“I know,” Aiba says. “As much as you are sorry, I’m sorry too.”

“But you didn’t—“

“Wait. Wait till I’m done,” Aiba says, effectively silencing Jun once again. “I’m sorry that I haven’t prepared enough and when you fucked up, because you did fuck the whole shoot up yesterday, I can’t contain the botch and everything just went to pieces.

“So, we all made mistakes yesterday, huge ones. You, me, Nino, Ohno, even Sho.”

Jun wanted to say something but he holds his thought for now.

“I think you’ve been all too miserable last night,” Aiba says, this time more sincere. “I think we’ve all been too miserable yesterday.”

Jun stays still.

“Oh, please just sit down. Now you are not only adding the guilt to yourself, you’re making me squirm with it too.”

Jun sits, still shifting uncomfortable on his seat.

“Matsujun, relax.” Aiba reaches out to him, holding his shoulder, keeping their gaze locked. “We’re okay. All of us are okay. Oh, perhaps not Nino but that’s not our concern at the moment. We’re okay.”

Aiba’s hold on his shoulder is warm and relief washes over him once again. He leans slowly against his chair, exhaling the breath he’s been holding on. “Thank you.”

“And thank you,” Aiba says. “Now, can we just move on? All this guilt trips around me is making me uncomfortable and I want to start working right now.”

“Yes.”

.

“You are actually a better assistant than Oh-chan,” Nino says, out of the blue.

He is sitting next to Sho at lunch. They have a long break since Ohno and Aiba needs to meet the original owner too. Jun is around for a walk in the park (or something else) and leaving Sho to have lunch with Nino on the park bench.

“Excuse me?” Sho mumbles with full with food mouth. “I am? Ohno?”

Nino turns and watches Sho struggle with his food in apparent disgust. “Don’t your mother ever told you to not speak with your mouth full?”

“But you were saying?”

“I said you could have been a better assistant than Oh-chan,” Nino repeats his statement; this time he witness Sho’s face flush with compliments clearly. “Conditional, that is.”

Grabbing the water bottle from his side, Sho takes a deep gulp of water, clearing his mouth before he turns to Nino with a question in face.

“I was just saying,” Nino shrugs.

Being with Sho for over a month has taught him many things; the man has loud laugh, can turn into a panicky mother at times, can scold his Jun till the later nearly in the brink of tears, could multitask—even at an almost impossible pace, and he’s damn charming.

“Is it a compliment?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does. I think. It comes from you after all.”

And it’s Nino’s turn to flush. He turns to hide his flush and Sho to laugh softly.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Nino says, a beat too quick. “It’s just right.”

Sho is kind of wating for the next thing from Nino but nothing comes up. So he’s going back to his food, taking his time to enjoy the meal, until Nino then goes back to observe Sho once again.

“I mean what I just said.”

Sho turns a bit to nod, but then goes back to his plastic plate.

“Ohno is a special kind but I think you are good for the job. It requires so many things, and you have most of it,” Nino says, eyes out to the sky, anywhere that is not Sho.

He has wanted to say exactly this to Sho since he heard from Aiba that Sho was considering joining film production. Sho might be just a talent manager, but he has showed a good reflex during the team. They’ve been saved many times by Sho’s promptness and reflex.

It’s a different kind of reflex from Ohno—considering, but it’s good nonetheless. Nino might not care but he could observe that they are working better together now that they’ve gotten used to each other, tolerate and supporting each other.

“I don’t usually talk about my opinion on this with people,” Nino begins. “But if you want to try this field, you can have my support.”

Nino turns to see Sho has abandoned his plate—that’s rare, and is staring at him with a dreamy face.

“Don’t look at me like that!”

“Like what?” Sho smiles, charmingly. “You are praising me?”

“I am not,” Nino quickly says. “I’m just stating the fact.”

“You are praising me,” Sho repeats. “Thank you. It always matters since it comes to you.”

That repeated statement piques Nino’s interest. “Why?”

“Because you are ever observant,” Sho says. “You might not say what’s on your mind every time but you know what’s happening.”

“And you are saying this because?”

“I observe too,” Sho says, sighing dreamily. “Actually, it’s one thing that I’ve come to realize midway. You guys are busy working during the shoot, but Ohno and I always stood on the back line watching everything. We watched everything.”

“That sounds creepy.”

“And it is actually,” Sho laughs softly. “And fun.”

“Creep.”

“Yeah, that’s the fun in all this, I guess. I saw Ohno silently watching while knowing that he’s keeping everything in mind, keeping everything in check and trying to anticipate things.”

“And you enjoy doing that. With him, or even by yourself.”

Sho shrugs, all comfortable talking about this, perhaps it’s because it’s Nino. He continues, “Yes. Apparently I find it enjoyable, and it’s challenging—sadly to say even more than my current work. So, there.”

Nino nods, in silent as he gives a chance for Sho to talk his mind out, realizing what he is just saying out loud. It wasn’t a happy topic to begin with, or it is easy to talk on something so personal with a person you’ve just met and worked with for over a month, but Sho just did. Nino has to appreciate that at the very least.

“You’re going to do great,” Nino finally says. “I’m just saying.”

“That’s very nice of you,” Sho says, smiling earnestly and giving a goofy grin at that. “Turns out that you’re a very nice man, Ninomiya.”

Nino rolls his eyes at the compliment, both uncomfortable and happy. “You’re just sucking up with me because you know I got good connection and you want a job out of me.”

“Perhaps,” Sho smiles, coyly this time. “Perhaps I’m going to use you.”

“Yeah. That’s me, easy to use.”

Sho laughs loudly, and it’s contagious and Nino finds himself giggling at the sound.

Their lunch forgotten, well, Nino wasn’t feeling on having lunch in the first place, but Sho leaving his food untouched is something worth noting. They sit together, in silent afterward. Sho in a sudden contemplative state, thinking about what Nino has just said, and Nino with a sense of achievement.

Sho needs to decide, and of course Nino is not going to be a part of that discussion, but sharing his piece of mind, and giving encouragement feels extremely nice for the heart.

“We only have 4 more minutes before lunch schedule is over.”

That brings Sho back to reality, looking down to his unfinished plate in surprise. “What?” he says playfully.

Nino laughs out loud this time.

It was a nice lunch; one more for the road.

.

 

At dinner Jun finds himself blurting out an offer. “I have all of our episodes recorded if any of you is interested,” he says, looking over to everyone on the table and meeting no one’s eyes.

Nobody says anything for that statement and that is the moment Jun fully realize that everyone probably has their own recording. No matter how badly indifferent Nino’s trying to show them, he cares about his work and this program is one of his. Even Ohno, or perhaps his mother, or perhaps if Jun can suspect further, Sho, has a copy for every episode.

“Well then,” Jun says, summing up his own offer, just in case, “if any of you need it, let me know.”

Slurping soup and scooping more rice into their mouths, the other hums their thanks. And Jun lets it go at that.

.

“As if this hasn’t been awkward enough, I have another news.” Aiba is looking with an apologetic expression toward the other.

“What?” Nino says. “You’re pregnant?”

“No, but I’ve decided to—“

The pause catches everyone attention. Jun is worried, now that Sho’s taken a big step (either forward or backward, that’s a whole different matter), it is going to be huge if Aiba does too. After all, Sho’s practically in Aiba’s hand now, working under him for projects.

“I’m going to—“

There’s a flash of excitement on Aiba’s face and suddenly Jun returns his calm, knowing that the news would not be as grave as Sho’s. He leans back to his chair, sipping his beer and wait.

“You cut your sentence once again, I’m going to throttle the words out of your throat, Aiba-shi. What was it?”

“I’m going to form a small baseball team,” Aiba says, almost breathlessly.

The rest of them blink their confusion for a while before letting out a loud laugh—that’s Sho, a relieved smile—Ohno, a chuckle and a short, “Only you, Aiba-chan, only you,”—Jun, and a frustrated growl masking a smile forming in his face—Nino, who wouldn’t admit it that he’s smiling in the first place.

“Dammit, Aiba-shi. You’re giving me heart attack. I will never ever trust your serious ugly face again.”

Sho leans forward. “I thought you play basketball.”

“In junior high,” Aiba says, nodding excitedly. “But I was in high school baseball team and since then it was always baseball.”

“That sounds interesting,” Jun says.

It’s amazing how fast Aiba turns to Jun, and how blinding the smile he’s sending. “Really? Can I count you in then? You seem piqued enough.”

Reaching for his sake glass, Ohno laughs at that. “Matsujun, you have just fallen into a trap. Rather willingly.”

“What? I’m not.” Jun looks around to find Nino rolling his eyes on him, and Sho’s smiling knowingly. Dammit. “Aiba-chan, you don’t think that…. I was only…”

Aiba smiles at him, welcoming and a little bit scary. “It’s okay, Matsujun, you are very welcomed in my team. Any time.”

Nino is laughing at the end of their table, loud and nearly in tears.

“You too,” Aiba turns to Nino, and silences the man effectively. “I have even bought you a mitt.”

“You have not!”

“Have too.”

This time Jun laughs back at Nino, witnessing the smile turns into a scowl, giving Aiba the look—one he uses to intimidate Aiba and fails repeatedly.

“We’re going to have so much fun,” Aiba says, patting the unwilling Nino and letting the whole table know how much he’s liking the idea.

“I don’t play baseball,” Sho says, clarifying, just in case the topic broaden into recruiting him amateur into the team. “I hope you have fun.”

Jun turns to look at Ohno, who doesn’t seem bothered by the news or the team. “You play?”

“No,” Ohno says, grinning. “And Aiba-chan knows about that, so it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay for me,” Jun says, rather sulkily. A trap it is perhaps, knowing that Aiba’s enthusiasm is going to skyrocket even more; a fact that he secretly loves but doesn’t feel like shouting it into the world. It could extremely tiring to keep up with Aiba, and baseball team might be the epitome of it all.

Yet, such a promising plan.


	10. 9: Of Crossing over to the Other Side

“Fan letters?”

“Yup.” Aiba’s voice is suspiciously cheerful on the other of the line. “You sound surprised.”

Sho clears his throat. “I’m sorry but I didn’t know that you television people receive fan letters.”

“Oh, we sure do. Most of them are just encouragement letter, stating their support and the like. But we also get the creepy and threatening kind.”

“Really?” Sho is intrigued now. “Which ones are they then?”

“For Jun?” Aiba chuckles. “It appears that Jun has few ladies fawning over him. I haven’t read them all. I just want to call you to say that Jun apparently got some fans.”

“That’s neat.”

“Yeah.”

They both stay silence for a while.

“Is there anything else I should let him know?”

“Nah. I’m sorry to call out of the blue. I was thinking of waiting until we meet again for the shoot, but that’d be two weeks for now.”

Sho hums, encouraging Aiba to continue.

“So, maybe I miss filming, I miss being not in this dingy small office,” Aiba says with a hint of sadness in his voice. “I miss you guys.”

Sho laughs loudly at that.

Aiba sounds a little bit offended. “But I do!”

“I know, Aiba-san, I know you really do,” Sho says, still wheezing with his laughter. “It just sounds… very cute.”

Aiba laughs this time, high-pitched and loud over the receiver. “Sho-kun, if I don’t know better, I would have thought your are flirting with me.”

“Well, you are,” Sho says, “and I don’t have to flirt with you to say you’re cute.”

“Yet, Ohno-kun is cuter?? Is that how you roll?” When Sho can’t give a quick answer, Aiba starts laughing again. “It’s all your fault. Now I miss you guys even more.”

“Cute,” Sho says, and they both get into a laughing fit.

“Ah, I have to go soon.” Aiba is the first to recover from their conversation.

“Okay. I’ll pass the message to Jun. If any of us has time, we’ll stop by to pick the letters.”

“You do that.”

A beat of silence.

“Aiba-kun.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for brightening my morning. It has been fun,” Sho says in a serious voice even if his face is splitting from his grin.

“Shut up, Sho-kun.” Aiba lets out another fit of laughter. “See you.”

The line goes off after that and Sho is left out replying to a hold tone. “See you.”

.

 

Much to Nino’s pain, Sho’s eyes are shining with curiosity—partially because of the beer, the long day and the obvious interest. “What was your work exactly? Do you work for television station? Or a production house? Or independent art house?”

“Sho-chan, are you trying to interview me for a new job?”

“No,” Sho says, a little bit too fast and serious, “that wasn’t what I mean. I’m sorry if it seems like it was too much all of a sudden.”

Ohno chuckles next to Sho. “He knows that Sho-kun, he was just teasing you.”

Sho takes a glance on Nino and sees the hints of glee on his eyes. “Oh.”

“You are so easy, Sho-kun,” Nino says, laugh on his tone. “No wonder Jun is so spoiled.”

Jun has too much alcohol on his system to even care for such drunk accusation. “You’re just jealous. You don’t have a personal manager.”

“Gloat!”

“Envious!”

Ohno leans back to scoot closer to Aiba, whispering, “Perhaps we need another round of beer.”

Aiba grins; karaoke wasn’t a bad idea at the end. Perhaps he should go and add some fries to the order.

.

“How can you be a talent manager?” Nino asks when Sho’s already slouching on his chair.

Sho shrugs. “You can’t. One day, you just are.”

Nino rolls his eyes, sighing with annoyance. “I don’t know what about you, Sho-chan, but you spurting out those kind of cool words is really doing it for me.”

“What? That wasn’t cool at all.”

“And that’s you being cool again by stating that you weren’t being cool,” Nino says. “I can really hate you for that, really. If you didn’t strike as as good looking as you are, I probably just punch you in the face.”

 

.

At first going to the office and actually sitting on Sho’s chair in his cubicle feels weird. Since Sho’s main charge was only Jun, along with several other points he had to do helping other managers, he finds all the documents and notes about him and his schedule filed neatly on Sho’s desk.

He loses count on how many times he had to share the small space, sitting on the additional chair he dragged from the next empty cubicle, discussing about work arrangements and sharing stories. Sho has been there all along, from the day he showed up with only courage and a simple picture, up in cloud nine as the director welcomed him and sent him to this godforsaken cubicle to meet a Sakurai Sho.

“Hello?”

“Yes.” The man answers without even giving him a glance, eyes fixed on the computer screen, which is filled with numbers, and tables, and everything that Jun doesn’t even comprehend.

“I’m looking for Sakurai Sho.”

“Yes,” the man says, with his back still on Jun, fingers typing furiously, “what can I do for you, sir?”

Jun continues. He was supposed to report to this person, whom the director said would be managing his work. “My name is Matsumoto Jun. I’ve been sent here by the director, saying that I’m to get my assignment from you.”

Sho’s finger stopped midway, head turning to find his schedule book on the far left and turn so abruptly, standing up and sending the chair back to meet Jun. “I’m so sorry, Matsumoto-san. I had this report I need to finish and you were waiting. I’m so sorry.”

Jun can clearly see Sakurai Sho now: his tired eyes, his crumpled shirt, his sharp eyes, and his toothy smile.

The man extends his hand, offering a peace-offering handshake. “I wasn’t thinking straight, should have turned when you said hello, but I was in the middle of this report and I thought you were… It doesn’t matter, I know. I was rude and I could only offer an apology.”

The apology is accepted in a heartbeat. Jun offers his hand, pumping their hands a few times, giving his own smile too. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for disturbing you in the middle of your work.”

“No, no, you weren’t. Technically you weren’t,” Sho says. He turns to see his desk and the small cramped space and is at lost at how to proceed to get this on. “You see, I should offer you to sit down, but I don’t have anything here. Let me get you a chair.”

“Oh, okay.”

Sho steps forward to get out from his cubicle but Jun is blocking the entry, so Jun then getting the intention, tries to step back to give way, and they awkwardly step from side to side to give way in turn.

Jun then steps back outside the cubicle, standing just behind the flimsy wall. “Sorry.”

“No, sorry,” Sho says, offering a low bow before he goes out, turning left and going into the next cubicle. Jun watches as Sho rolls out a chair from the cubicle.

They crammed together in the small space at the end. Sho saved his work and leave his screen on, then turn to sit facing Jun, who is situated near the opening of the door.

“I think we started off the wrong foot. Let me greet you properly.”

Shifting a little bit awkward in his chair, Jun shakes his hand. “No, not at all. I should’ve come later if I am interrupting your work.”

“I’ve been briefed thoroughly yesterday,” Sho says, emphasizing his tone. “You are technically my work, no pun intended, I’m supposed to pay more attention.”

Jun shakes his hand again, but the apologies are starting to bother him. “It’s fine.”

“You are really beautiful in person,” Sho says, out loud, and then looked surprised. “I didn’t mean that. I mean, I mean to say you’re beautiful, but it shouldn’t be said out awkwardly like that. I’m sorry.”

Jun laughs, he feels his cheeks flushed warmly. Charming might not be the word he use to describe the man in front of him but there’s a sense that they will be alright together.

He’s both less nervous for his work and more nervous for the charm. It’s a nice feeling.

.

“I do owe you an explanation,” Sho says one night, “it’s just not that easy to bring up the subject and just talk.”

Jun nods. “You can start anytime. I’m all ears.”

Sho keeps on staring into his whiskey glass.

They have settled on meeting on the bar they frequent, the one that Sho introduced to Jun during their first project and since then have been a place for them to talk aimlessly when they feel the need.

Sho doesn’t seem like talking now, so Jun goes first. “Has this idea of transfer of yours been going on forever?”

“Not really,” Sho says. He doesn’t know where to start and rather grateful to have Jun start with a question. He owes Jun explanation the most and he will need to give the man at least a reason. “I have always known that this manager job is something I love but I won’t keep myself at it forever. At one point I would need to do something else, something different and more challenging.

“You know I love the work, all the managing, nagging, running here and there to finish an errand, but I found something that’s more interesting, yes, different and definitely more challenging.”

Jun nods at that, sipping his whiskey. That information is not new for him. He saw Sho grows during the duration of their production, more focused, more eager; enjoying the work to the fullest.

“Film production,” Sho says dreamily. “It sounds great and all but it’s giving you the most terrible headache, the hardest pressure and I love that. I love that I am able to experience that. I want more. I want so much more, Matsujun.”

Jun fights the urge to reach over and give Sho a pat in the shoulder. He understands where Sho’s coming from, and he knows it wasn’t the easiest decision. Leaving your mundane but steady job at an agency, local as it is but still steady for a (seasonal) project base work. He would have been terrified shall he was to do the same thing as Sho, that he needs to tell the man, to say that he admired Sho for the decision. But for now, he’ll keep on listening first, Sho needs to get it all out after all.

“So, I’ve done it. I handed my resignation this morning and effective next month I’ll be jobless and working for Aiba on part-time basis,” Sho says, slumping on the counter slowly. “I’m going to live a hard life, and it’s scary.”

This time Jun reaches out to give few solid pats on Sho’s back. It’s warm and he keeps his palm on the shoulder.

“It’s scary, Matsujun,” Sho says, voice muffled by the counter as his face was on the surface. He turns to face Jun, pillowing his face on his folded arm. “Dammit, what was I thinking? I have a steady job and I could just live peacefully with the work and I ditched that, now I added extra stress into my life. It’s like I don’t have enough already.”

“Are you happy?”

Sho laughs. “That’s such an annoying simple question. I can totally punch you in your pretty face right now.”

“Simple questions usually require simple answers,” Jun says, smiling coyly. Sho will need to align his mind properly, that’s all. He knows that he’s doing what he wants already, his brain needs to catch up with his heart, that’s all. “And you’re picking up Aiba’s joke. That’s either hilarious or just plain sad.”

“Matsujun,” Sho says, whining at the statement with a smile on his face. “You are the best and the worst.”

Jun gives Sho a wider smile, the best he had and give the man a few more backrubs. “You’d know.”

.

It’s not like no one tried to ask him what he does on his spare time, it’s not like Ohno doesn’t answer. His usual excuse was to stay at home, just having quiet. Aiba has information about Ohno painting on his spare time but no one really sees what he does all this time.

.

“Why can’t you join us Saturday?” Sho frowns at the email he just received. It’s short and says nothing about the reason. Ohno just couldn’t make it next Saturday.

They have been setting up a time, to actually watch the show live on TV. An idea that Nino was against the first time, but Aiba convinced him fair and square, so he’s in. Jun doesn’t mind, it’s a Saturday night and he has light schedule the next Sunday.

Sho wonders why.

He reaches his phone, dialing Ohno’s number. He doesn’t like to pry but he somehow wanted to get to the bottom of all this; he wants them to get the chance. He thought they were making good progress with friendship, or probably not.

For Sho, his small number of friends is precious. He would, in a heartbeat, go for them shall they need him, it’s even more ridiculous when it’s people he loves. Part of him couldn’t understand why the hell Ohno keep on refusing. Shouldn’t he at the very least taking the offer? They weren’t trying to go out all night (they went on a overnight shoot and it wasn’t a problem). It’s just a one-time thing; they need to do this, you can’t know what is going to happen to them. Sho had heard some rumours that they might not get another season, he just heard hushed speculation.

It is apparent that they are not doing so well.

What do they expect anyway? If Sho needs to be fair, he’d say that Jun wasn’t the best choice even if he tries his best. Casting a new guy, just a town model for a variety show, be it a late night show, is not actually ideal. Yet, who would want the slot in the first place—it’s a graveyard rating anyway. They are lucky to surpass .5 at one time. It’s horrible.

Again, what do they expect anyway?

Three episodes in he realized that it’s part of the reason Nino wasn’t giving him all, if you can save your energy why bother going all out for things that people doesn’t even watch. Aiba of course will try to give his opposite argument, saying that they should choose the work. The work chooses them and they should have done their best in everything.

Sho both agrees and disagrees with those two.

Jun is more like Aiba, trying his best to the point that it sometimes hurt Sho to see him being treated like he’s nothing—well, he is still nothing but he works so hard and he needs to be compensated—you can’t grow without a compliment.

And Ohno, now he’s back to Ohno, Sho couldn’t really pinpoint what the man is actually leaning toward. He does work hard. Sho sees him working so hard, he was almost asleep in his feet. He also lingers and drags slow when he’s able, refusing to do anything but not doing anything. He’s simply a gorgeous complexity that piques Sho’s interest, hard and fast and lasting.


	11. 10: Of Harsh Reality and the End

“Oh-chan,” Aiba says absently, reaching for another clip of paper. There’s schedule he needs to adjust and revise by lunchtime today, requiring him to get into the meeting completely prepared. They are having their episode audited today. Aiba will never prepare himself enough for the meeting but at least he could try.

Ohno is hunkered on his own work too; he’s very slow during office work, almost the complete opposite of when he was on the field, swiftly turning here and there, catching every bits and pieces of other people’s need and be there with a solution every single time. In the office, Ohno is like a butterfly with no wings, idle and very slow. Aiba had given him shot list to be checked and cross-checked but so far he hasn’t hear anything.

Too bad they are very short on resources and Aiba has to set Ohno to help with the list. It wasn’t the best option but there’s nothing else to be done at the moment. There are just too many things to be done.

“Oh-chan!” Aiba says, startling the other.

“Yes?” Ohno turns, surprised and hazy. “Yes?”

“You’re done with that? I need that,” Aiba turns to see the watch on the far wall, “twenty minutes ago.” He can hear Ohno grumbles his sorry softly. He knows it’s not about Ohno hating the job but he wasn’t good at it to begin with and it does require fast thinking.

“Just make it fast, make sure you check everything so I can move on and work on that afterward,” Aiba says, clearly distracted by his own notes. He’s been scribbling points of meeting he needs for his presentation. He will skip Ohno’s list for now and move on to the other. They can set the list up later when it’s ready. “I’m waiting okay.”

“Yes, Aiba-chan.”

Aiba doesn’t like the tone of Ohno’s answer, the posture that Ohno has now, almost too close to the papers. Aiba doesn’t know how the man could read at such close distance but he beyond cares. They have a deadline to meet.

.

During the meeting later, Aiba is alone.

Ohno is way too happy to finish his paperwork, and then happily leaving Aiba to get on with the meeting. He has to check the equipment on the warehouse, and he wasn’t shuffling his steps when he gives Aiba a little nod and head to the basement without so much as a backward glance or any encouragement.

The meeting doesn't go well. As usual, Aiba stumbles upon his words, not able to explain the shoot in a clear way, not emphasizing on the important thing. It was passable, but then again, sometimes he needs to be amazing. The program future depends on him, and he needs to act like the director that he is.

He feels like he failed.

When Ohno comes back from the basement all beaming, Aiba comes down from the meeting room with a dark cloud on his face. Ohno tries to talk about the new camera they’re having—not that Nino will have a chance of using it soon, it’s too fancy for their location program, and they are trying to keep it indoor for the time being because, it is fancy, and Aiba-chan, you should see it—but Aiba isn’t actually listening.

They are cutting the program after the contract is finished.

Two more episodes to go and that will be the end.

.

Ohno likes the work and he doesn’t like to see how Aiba or Nino thinks creatively about the shot. It’s so much work. The task of production manager is to accommodate people’s need during the shoot. He can work with people; he can see how people need something. That’s one of the best thing Ohno could do when he’s paying attention. No need to think about rating, angle, would it look good on screen, would it not, or should they get another filler shot, or another takes. He’s happy by getting over the shoulder view behind Aiba, overseeing everything and helping the team to do what they need to do.

He’s going to miss this particular team.

.

The trip is short as they ride in silence. Aiba is at his calm state, looking out the window, watching the still city scenery. He has reviewed his script all morning and since it’s Ohno’s responsibility and he wasn’t the one who dwell long in keeping a silent treatment just because they had a breakdown the previous weekend, he’s trying to trust all this on Ohno.

On the front seat, Ohno is finding himself unexpectedly calm. His palm is not even sweaty. They reach the area, and he gives several quick direction to Ogu-san, so he could head up to the space they’ve been reserving.

He doesn’t need to prove himself, he knows, not this time, or not ever. Working with Aiba has given him responsibility and he has prepared this thoroughly and everything should be well and prepared.

The car stops at the next intersection, waiting for the signal to turn green.

Nino and Jun take the back seat together. There’s some unexpected tension between them as Nino curled up on the end of back, pretending to sleep, closing his eyes and not caring about anything. Since they’ve departed from the station, he hasn’t uttered a single word, earphone plugged and nothing else.

Seemingly indifferent, Jun tried to read but Sho has informed him that the location wasn’t so far away so they should be there in no time. He then takes his seat as far away as possible from Nino on the other end and sulks. He wasn’t the one in the wrong.

The car stops.

They need to start work soon and the silence will be ebbing soon. Sho could only hope so; he isn’t comfortable with the silence front everyone tries to put up, knowing that nothing is actually wrong. They just need to find their groove again, but so far no one is trying; it irks him so.

Sho slides the back door open, going out first. Aiba is right behind him.

Ohno is way faster, he already closes the front door. “How do you want to do this?” He asks Aiba, just confirming with a not-so-straight face.

Heart fell a little, Aiba gives a small smile. Ohno seems quite tense for one who doesn’t get nervous at most stuffs. It must be because all the stuff they did last week and the stupid result they’ve got from the last episode shooting. In a way, Aiba was in charge of that and by extention, a tad guilty for putting the look and nervousness in Ohno. “Just take it easy. We have all day.”

Sho tries to help with a small not but one glance on both Aiba and Ohno shows that Ohno seeks for Aiba’s instruction and he will not start anything without a hint. He is learning from his mistake, and perhaps Sho doesn’t have to stay irked, he just needs to let things go and see how it pans out.

“But how do you want to do this?” Ohno asks again.

Aiba keeps the smile, quickly took a look around before he decides. “I think we could go up to say our greeting. Sho-chan can help Jun get dressed and ready. Nino should be able to let you know what he wants, and you can set Jun up later.”

“Sounds good to me,” Sho says, offering a balance, anything to keep everything for being awkward.

Ohno offers a smile in return. “Very well. Shall we then?”

“Nino,” Aiba calls out. “We’re going to see the workshop first. Do you need anything now?”

Jun goes out first, eyes squinting from the morning light. Sho wants to offer his sunglasses but Jun wouldn’t take it now. He steps aside, going to Sho’s side and casting a question in his glances.

“We’re going to wait for the others to check up on the shop and get ready.”

Jun nods at Sho’s explanation.

And Nino climbs out from the car, still with earphone on his left ear. Was he listening all the time then? “I’ll need my small camera but then we can go. I’ll decide what light we need when I saw the place.”

“Okay then,” Aiba says, quickly deciding. They’re going to take this a step at a time. “Let’s go, Oh-chan.”

Jun turns to Sho when the other three has gone toward the alley and make a turn. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You know what. All the tension?”

“Don’t tell me you are not feeling any of it.”

“I do, but I thought it was only between Nino and I. We were the ones who shouted at each other the other day. Very unprofessional of us, of me.”

“I’m sure Nino feel as bad as you. That’s why you aren’t not yet talking today.”

“I’m just saying,” Jun says, shrugging as they take their time before he needs to get change—which means slip into his cardigan, since he has his shirt and jeans on. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Sho says. “Let's not worry about that, we have a long day to go through.”

Jun shrugs, turning to return to the car before looking back to Sho. “I am not going to put the cardigan on right now. I’m going to be roasted on that getup under 5 minutes.”

“Fine. Let’s get everything ready for when they are ready for us then.”

.

“What do you think?”

Aiba and Nino turn to look at Ohno who waits at their approval. It’s beginning to make Aiba sad but there’s nothing to do actually.

“Stop that, will you!” Nino says, almost hissing since they are in the middle of the entryway for the workshop. “Stop giving that sad and miserable look, it’s disgusting.”

“Nino.” Aiba tries to hold him, but he knows Nino doesn’t mean harm. He was helping the team by scolding Ohno now. No one needs to deal with unsure and nervous Ohno all day. “Don’t get nasty.”

Nino shrugs Aiba’s pat and continues. “This guy is trying to be correct by displaying guilt. I don't’ know how long I can handle that, but it sure won’t be for long.”

Ohno’s expression gradually mellows—not that it has been grey and clouded all morning.

“And I’m not saying that to scold you,” Nino continues, and Aiba lets him. “We had enough of drama last week, we said things that we regretted, we were tired and wanted to go home. It was your fault as much as it was all our faults. So stop carrying the guilt.”

This time Aiba reaches to pat Ohno’s instead. Nino keeps on staring straight at Ohno, holding his cold gaze.

Taking a deep breath and had seeing the honesty he wanted to see in Nino’s eyes, Ohno nods. “I’m sorry but it’s hard.”

“I know.” Nino’s tone mellows. “We all know.”

Anticipating Ohno already, Aiba nods firmly when Ohno glances toward him. “It’s done. It’s another day, another episode.”

Ohno nods again, this time with a lighter mood.

Aiba was thinking to do a joke on how he feels like a father of two young boys currently making up after a big fight and going to bring the height issue.

He stops his run of thoughts when the owner comes into view, greeting them with a big smile; time for work now.

.

“Jun, I have something I need to talk to you about,” Sho says on the other line.

He sounds extremely serious and Jun doesn’t like it a bit: the last time Sho used the serious tone was when [what? His close friend got fired because he failed to manage a senior artist and then slept with the daughter, something nasty like that.]

Jun tries to lighten the mood, but there isn’t much to do when you are walking toward the station to get to work. Sho’s lucky he caught him before he boarded the train, since he wanted to talk to him.. “You are talking to me right now.”

“I mean, talk to you in person.”

Jun stops short, frowning. “I’m on my way to HQ right now, you know. You know.”

Sho doesn’t speak for a while, and Jun could see that he was massaging his temple in pain, and trying to come up with better thing to say.

“Sho?”

“Yes,” Sho responds. He sounds so tired and it’s barely 10 AM in the morning.

“You called me to talk to me about something?” Jun reminds him. He could see the station and he would need to cut Sho off soon. “I need to board my train soon.”

“Okay, I guess I can wait till you get here,” Sho says. “I should’ve waited till you get here.”

“What’s wrong with you this morning?”

“Jun,” Sho says, using the serious voice again, and Jun could only hope that he’d get his curiosity in check enough to tide him till he gets to the office. “Everything is wrong.”

Sighing, Jun stops again. The gate is in front of him and he needs to get his card out and all. “I’m hanging up. I’m at the station already, I should be there in 30.”

Sho only breathes into the phone.

“I’ll see you soon then,” Jun says, hanging up when Sho still doesn’t say anything. It’s going to be hell of a day, he just know it.

.

Meanwhile, Nino is calling Aiba.

Aiba picks up his desk phone absently when it rings insistently. He is slumping on his seat after his talk with Sho, not really wanting to do anything or to call other people he needs to call. He’s just going sit on his seat for a while, a long while if possible and try to sort things out.

The news of the end of his program wasn’t exactly the thing he expected to hear at 8.15 in the morning. Damn execs!

“Aiba-chan?”

Aiba closes his eyes when he recognized the voice. Nino. What’s worse from just realizing that it was Nino calling is to immediately know what Nino’s tone mean. His voice was low, almost like a whisper and Nino almost never uses the tone, except when he’s in serious distress.

Great, just what he needed. Another people he needs to inform.

“Good morning, Nino.”

The tone immediately changes when Nino returns the greeting. “Good morning? From what I just read right now, it’s not a bloody good morning to us all!”

“You don’t need to shout at me so loud this morning.”

“I’m not shouting yet, Aiba-chan,” Nino says, lowering his tone. At least he knows that Aiba doesn’t need to be shouted. Probably again.

“It’s loud, your voice.” Aiba says absently. He keeps the receiver with his shoulder as he slumps back against his chair. Perhaps talking this out will do them good, but it doesn’t seem that way. “You’ve heard then?”

“I haven’t heard anything. Nothing complete,” Nino says on the other line. “What I got is cryptic email from Oh-chan. I don’t even know what he’s talking about in the beginning, all, Nino, it had been a pleasure to work with you. I’m going to have two week fishing holiday. If I don’t know better I would’ve thought that he’s sending me his suicide note.”

It feels amazing to be able to laugh and Aiba doesn’t hold back. He hoots his bitter laugh loud enough for the next cubicle to hear. “They’re ending us, Nino.”

Nino doesn’t say anything at that but his next question is a hard one. “Are you okay?”

“You should’ve not asked me that.”

“I know. But I want to.”

“And you know that I’m not. Not okay at all.”

“I don’t have any schedule today but should I come over?”

“Here?”

“If you want to,” Nino says softly before he changes his tone a little bit thick to add some sarcasm. “Which I hope you don’t want, because I would hate it to drag myself out of the house at this time of day during my day off.”

“You don’t have to, then.”

“I asked you first. You should give me an answer not an inferred statement.” A pause. “I can go now if you want.”

“Nah, no need,” Aiba says, realizing that he meant what he says. Nino offering him to come over to do whatever Aiba wanted just to cheer him up is helpful enough. It’s good that he knows that Nino cares. He could deal with the rest of this himself. He must. “You’re offering to come here is enough.”

They stay on the line in silent, Aiba regulating his breathing and Nino listening intently.

“I’m going to hang up soon,” Nino finally says. “I haven’t even had my second coffee.”

Aiba chuckles, not as bright as usual but that’s a start. “I have another meeting in 30 minutes and I can’t even think about anything.”

“Just do your usual,” Nino chuckles back on the other line. “Not thinking.”

“Oi.” The scold comes out very soft. “Or, you know what, perhaps I will do exactly that.”

“You don’t have to fake it, Aiba-chan, just be a natural.”

Aiba laughs at that. He stands up to stretch and catches Ohno on the other side of the room, just coming into the office and already heading his way.

He waves at Ohno and then receive a wave back. They are going to talk again.

“Ohno’s here. I’m going to ask him about the suicide note.”

“You do that. And smack him for me, will you.”

“I will.”

“Okay.”

“Nino,” Aiba says, pausing a bit. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll call later?”

“You’d better,” Nino says. “And are we still on for Saturday?”

“Why you asked? You have other plan?”

“I’m just asking. There’s nothing more to it!” Nino says, a little bit too rushed. He just wants to make sure that their plan is still on and they are going to meet and probably be miserable together so it’s going to be easier, still miserable but easier.

“I think we still are. I haven’t talked to Jun though, but I’m sure Sho’s relaying the news right now. I’ll keep you posted?”

“You do that.” Nino clicked off and Aiba then set his receiver back off, to see Ohno is leaning on his cubicle already.

“Is that Nino?”

“Yeah.”

“What did he say?”

“That you’re going to commit a fishing suicide?”

“Suicide? I didn’t write suicide. I said holiday.”

Aiba laughs. He wasn’t alone, he know, he never is, but it’s nice to be reminded sometimes.

Ohno watches him with an amused expression, tilting his head in question. “What was that?”

“Something amusing so early in the morning. At least this morning doesn’t suck wide.”

“I head from Taguchi down at 5th floor. I just think I’m going to hand in my vacation slot earlier this year.”

“You should then. While we still have time.”

“You called Sho-kun?”

“I did.”

“How did he react?”

“Badly. He’s going to pass the news to Jun, and then we all could deal with it together.”

“I’m going to give him a call later then.”

“Or better yet, you should’ve just asked him to join your fishing suicide.”

“Holiday,” Ohno corrects him. “Wait. What?”

“Take him with you. Have fun together. Get away from this hectic a while and, fun, just fun.”

Ohno stays silent for a while before he frowns and asks the obvious question. “Is that an attempt to set us up?”

Aiba laughs again; the morning has gotten slight—ever so slightly—brighter.


	12. 11: Of Accepting and Celebrating

They are both sitting in silence on the small lounge next to the vending machine by the hallway.

Sho had predicted that Jun would have thrown something (or a tantrum) hearing the bad news—it’s what he wanted to do in the first place when Aiba called, so he took Jun aside, on a quiet place. As quiet as they could possibly manage on an office just half an hour before lunch time.

Sho sipped his coffee can, watching Jun as he leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, hands clutching on his own coffee can.

He’d let Jun stay that way for another half an hour and start to excuse them to people that’d be passing by but Jun then opened his eyes, unexpectedly clear and composed.

“It has been fun,” he says.

“It is,” Sho says. He doesn’t really have anything to say. But seeing Jun to be this composed, he is actually a little bit embarrassed. Isn’t he the one who’s making this a too big of deal?

“It was a great experience, Sho-kun. I’m glad I can do this with you,” Jun says, staring into his coffee before taking the last sip and throwing the can into the bin.

Sho waits.

“My first late night television program. I can’t still believe I’m saying that, I will always say that.” He takes a deep breath and smiles. And if it’s going to be my last, at least I had fun. Lots of fun.”

Sho could only smile back in return.

“You think I’m going to flip some tables?”

“Well, yeah.”

Jun laughs at the honest responds. He could see where Sho’s come from. He probably won’t be able to maintain his composure if he knows it any other way. But Sho has been very careful in breaking the news and for that he has prepared for the worst.

And when the worst came, it wasn’t actually that bad.

“Thank you.”

“Stop that,” Sho says, suddenly worry that now is the time Jun will do something drastic. “It’s just one end.”

“And another beginning, or so you always said.” Jun takes one step closer to Sho, making them standing quite close to each other and stare right into his eyes to say what he’s been trying to say. “I never really take that statement of yours seriously. I never really do. But today, I can see where it is coming.”

“Jun.”

“It was one hell of experience, I can tell you that now. And it will always be. I’m glad we got through it together—“

“Technically we still have one,” Sho says.

Jun smiles. “I know, and that’s quite relieving, don’t you think?”

Sho nods.

“I’m glad we got through it together, Sho-kun. You and I. We and them three.”

That brought a wider smile into Sho’s face.

Jun takes another step, getting them right on face to face. “That’s why I say thank you. Thank you for all this, and perhaps for what’s more to come”

He takes a step forward, hands circling Sho and embraced him in a tight hug.

They are standing in the corner of the hallway. Sho’s standing straight as Jun’s arm circled him, warm and shaking. When he feels Jun’s nose on his neck, he hears a hiccup and a moment later, he feels something wet on his shoulder.

That alone gives him Sho a shudder. He wraps his arm around Jun in return, giving him support and a shoulder for him; feeling sadness washing through him as Jun sobs on his hold.

He feels the gratitude, the sadness and the courage. Jun might not want to cry in the middle of the hallway in the middle of the day. Sho might not want to admit it but that moment he wants to protect Jun from everything in this world, he wants to keep Jun safe in his hold.

“It has been an honor, Jun. You’re very welcome.”

Jun sobs harder and Sho feels his eyes burn. He gives Jun rubs on his back, just trying to sooth and nothing else. He’ll let Jun have this moment. He will never mention this again. He will be there for Jun, for as long as he needs it.

Few seconds later, Jun’s hold tighten and Sho responds the same. Then when he feels Jun’s arm loosen, he loosens his too, and with that Jun takes some steps back. Without looking into Sho’s eyes, he’s retreating and walking toward the other of the side of the hall without a parting word.

Sho watches Jun walks away, eyes still burning. He wipes his threatening tears away, and watches the steady back, the square shoulder walks away, not in defeat, but with pride, with shining pride.

.

“I thought you are not interested to go drinking with me anymore.” Aiba says, mostly pouting without any bite on it. “You’re going out a lot with Oh-chan lately, no?”

“Who told you that?”

“You shouldn’t get too close to him, almost inseparable during filming breaks if you don’t want to have people hold such impression.”

“What are you?” Nino frowns at the complex explanation. “Morale police? My mother?”

Aiba laughs, getting his half-full beer glass and raise a silent toast before downing it. “Nah, I’m just curious.”

“You are always too curious for your own good.” Nino does the same. They’ve been drinking or a few hours right now, both are tipsy enough and it feels good after the end of a long day.

“I know. Yet, I’m still curious, Nino!”

“About what?”

Aiba finishes the beer, and then turn a confused look back to Nino. “What?”

“You don't even remember what you’ve said not 30 seconds ago. Aiba-shi!”

“What?” This time Aiba smiles, not wondering about what he originally asks.

“We’re not going out you know.” Nino says.

“Who?”

Dejected face and hurt flashes on his face, Nino stares at Aiba rather angrily. “I thought you were asking a question, now I’m getting you as close as an answer and you don’t even remember you question.”

Aiba chooses to smile instead of commenting. He vaguely remembers that he was talking about Oh-chan, but what are Nino trying to deny at this point?

“You said I was going a lot with him. I didn’t. We just shared stories on film location and that’s all. I wouldn’t even know his number if he wasn't your assistant.”

“That’s such a waste though.”

“Trust me, I know,” Nino finishes his beer with a flourish. “It hurts me so. I think I should pursue him or woe him, I don’t even know which one I should do. Do you think he has interest in me?”

“Nino,” Aiba says, now starting to notice that he’s running out of beer. And so does Nino. A fact that he needs to rectify soon. “Who doesn’t have interest in you? A charming guy like you with talent and a judging eyes. Everyone is all over you!”

“There’s a reason I like going out to drink with you,” Nino says, before he remembers that his glass is empty. “For example, my beer glass is empty.”

“Yeah,” Aiba says, turning to the bartender to ask a refill. “Two glasses of beer, please.”

“You won’t remember what I said tomorrow morning,” Nino softly says, with a fond smile on his face, as he watches Aiba waving down the bartender, asking for refills for both of them. When the beer arrives, Nino doesn’t hesitate. “I love you, Aiba!”

Eyes wild, flushed cheek and wide grin, Aiba returns the confession. “I love you too Nino-chan.”

Nino grins as he downs his new beer; the night is still young after all.

.

Thing is Aiba remembers everything pretty well in the morning. His head feels like being pounded by thousands of tiny hammer, but every word Nino said last night rings clearly in his mind.

And he remembers what he said in return.

He repeats the sentence, feeling the taste of the confession on the tip of his tongue. It feels good: “I love you too, Nino-chan.”

.

“We need to at least watch an episode together!” Aiba’s statement alone raised a lot of protests. They are on their way back to town; the car is moving smoothly. Ohno has to put a lot of things by the passenger’s seat and that’s why Aiba’s sitting on the back with the rest of them. It is proven to be a horrible thing to do because he doesn’t seem to be tired from the shoot and is getting a lot of ideas.

Even if there isn’t any talk about party yet, Nino is as usual being the party-pooper. “But I can’t.”

It was Jun who turns to him, inquiring earnestly. “Because?”

“I don't have any particular reason,” Nino says, shrugging carelessly. “I just can’t get together gathering just to watch an episode of our show real time. Do you know what time it is actually on?”

“2.45,” Sho says.

Nino nods and emphasizes, “AM.”

“Yes, and you were saying?” Aiba now turns to look at Nino with a challenge, or a quizzical look, whichever works best. To which Nino could only stare back and say nothing.

“How are we going to watch it together then?” Ohno poses the important question.

Answering the curiosity re logistic, Aiba gets fired up again with his own idea. “Should we crash party at someone’s place? Then we can end up and wrap the fun watching the show together.”

“What are we? Schoolboys?” Nino tries to retort back, to no effect unfortunately.

Aiba sighs. He doesn’t really need this kind of banter but it’s always the case with Nino. He just needs a little, if not a lot, persuasion. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“You think everything is fun.”

Aiba feels that they had this conversation before. Starting with his throwing some, not ridiculous, ideas to the table and Nino trying to shut down everything. “It is. Don’t you think so?”

“That’s low, Aiba-chan, I don’t even want to respond to that.” Nino says, sulky in his own way.

If Aiba doesn’t know better he might think that Nino’s a lost case. He smiles instead. “You don’t have to. You just need to come up and ready when I pick you up.”

Nino rolls his eyes at the response.

“And worry not. I’m going to drop you back after the party.”

“Which at least going to be around 3.30. AM that is.”

“Yup.” Aiba beams. “Sounds like fun, right?”

“Right.” Nino knows he has lost the argument, as he always does, and perhaps it’s better for him to shut up right now and not turn the matter even worse.

At first Sho ignores the loud banter. Nino will show up, even if Aiba has to drag him to the spot, and then he’d have a good time but he wouldn’t be saying so just because he doesn’t want Aiba to know that he was having fun. Yet Aiba would know that Nino had fun, so there’s no problem in that equation.

“Now. Back to the location problem. Where are we going to watch then? Or party, if you weren’t kidding when you said that?”

“You can’t go to some bar or karaoke booth to have a party and ended up watching some television.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

“You said party before.”

“Or you can book a hotel room and we all can stay together for the night and tune in for the show around the time.”

“I don’t think we reach that stage of relationship yet, Sho,” Nino says, smirking. He might not want to argue with Aiba again, but Sho is a different case. He can be all entertained anyway, plus he knows Sho wouldn’t mind.

Jun laughs loudly, earning a stare from Sho. He sends a sweet smile at Sho’s frown and chuckles out the rest of his laugh.

“Anyway,” Sho continues, “we need a plan.”

“Hotel room is too expensive,” Aiba says, considering their option. Now that everyone seems to have taken the plan seriously, he doesn’t want to miss the momentum. “How about crashing on someone’s place? Anyone’s who has television set?”

“That’s vague enough,” Jun says. “But I have a television set.”

All turns to Jun. Aiba with a sparkling gratitude—it’s like Jun has saved him from the worst trouble in the world and he’s being grateful; Sho with disbelief—which Jun suspects as a hint of envy since he is quite sure that Sho would offer to pay for the hotel room soon enough shall no one is taking that option; Ohno with a curious glance—he wasn’t expecting the offer too, Jun is sure, but they were not thinking of Jun’s being open about it in the first place; and Nino, with glaring interest, or should Jun says, satisfied smirk—whatever that means, it’s hard to tell sometimes with Nino.

It was Sho who breaks the silence first. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously?” Aiba emphasizes the question, still in disbelief even now that he’s smiling so wide, it’s actually scary.

Jun doesn’t answer, instead he rounds his gaze toward everyone, each and every one of them, and sends his own quizzical look. “I mean, if you all don’t mind.”

Ohno says, “Don’t you mind?”

“Did I just dig my own grave?” Jun asks Nino, now feeling that he shouldn’t have being so open and ended up inviting everyone to his place for a drink.

Nino leans against his seat and smirks for real this time. “You kind of did.”

Aiba laughs out loud, with a relief. “It’s decided then.”

“Wait,” Sho says, hastily. “Wait.”

“What? What else? Matsujun has already said it’s okay by him, than it’s okay by him. We’re having a party on Matsujun’s house!”

“Wait,” Sho says, softer this time. There are things to consider, you don’t suddenly invite people they barely know for three months into one’s home. (Even if he’s to be honest with himself, these people are the closest he’s with right now).

“You’re turning manager mode all over again, Sho-chan,” Nino says, this time he’s all happy with how it turns out.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just—” Sho tries to say something, anything, but it seems that the matter is settled.

Ohno reaches to pat Sho in the shoulder. “It’s okay, Sho-kun.”

Defeated, Sho nods at that the end, and that seems to give a boost to Aiba to get even more enthusiastic with his ideas.

“Great it’s settled then!”

“You don’t have to be so loud about it, Aiba-chan.”

“But isn’t it exciting?”

“It is,” Ohno smiles.

“I can’t offer much though. Dinner perhaps, but you will have to bring your own drink.”

“You have television set, that’s enough for me. We all bring some beer and snacks.”

Sho seems to still be a little off but he’s trying. “I’ll help you with stuff.”

“You always help me with stuff,” Jun says. He’s going to talk later with Sho about his reluctance just now, but for now, why not, it’s a good idea after all. “And I only have one bed, mind you.”

“We’re sharing a bed after all?”

“Oh-chan, which part of relationship you’re missing here?”

“We are so not sharing a bed,” Nino says, “we as in five of us. If any of you two wants to do so, then I don’t mind at all.”

“I can take a taxi and go home after the show.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not worth the fare, better to wait for the first train to run then we’re all be hungover and all but not losing any unnecessary money.”

“You can actually stay until later,” Jun says. “I don’t have to be anywhere next Sunday. Right Sho-kun?”

Shuffling his mental planner, Sho nods. “I think so. I need to check but I think you have a clear schedule.”

“I’m clearing my schedule too,” Ohno says, “I really like to sleep in on Sunday.”

“You’re not important enough to be able to clear your work on Sunday.”

“I can try,” Ohno says, smiling with excitement. “I’ll bring the sake.”

“No one wants to drink sake but you. That’s cheating.”

“At least I’m bringing my own booze, unlike some other guy.”

Nino pouts at the statement. “Cheat.”

Aiba clasps his hands, very pleased with himself and concludes the talk. “We’re so on!”

.

(Ohno was saying that he doesn’t have time to get a slot for them to get together. Jun was saying it’s not like they were going to have to bring popcorn or something. Sho is all agreeing to the idea, already thinking how they should schedule their time.

Nino agrees, just like that.)

.

“If I had known that it’s only taken this easy to get him to talk and being sappy, I would’ve tried it long ago,” Jun says, observing Nino who currently crawling on the floor trying to get to the sofa and just pass out.

“He is a light drinker.”

“Who said that? That’s a lie.” Nino shouts his objection, arm reaching toward the cushion but failing back on his side. “I’ll just need to lie down for a while. You must wake me when the show is all about!”

“And he’s going to be a bitch to deal with in the morning.” Ohno says.

Jun doesn’t even want to know how Ohno obtains that information. “I’m just going to leave him here till he’s awake then. No need to disturb a bitchy hangover guy.”

“But it’s barely past midnight,” Sho says. He absently checking the television program, nothing is actually good at this hour and they have around 2 hours to kill.

“How about a little game?”

“What do you have in mind?” Jun looks around. He is sure he has some trump cards around somewhere. “Cards? Or something else?”

It was Ohno’s soft voice who gives the most ridiculous suggestion. “How about spin the bottle?”

Nino actually perks up at that. “I’m in.”

“Weren’t you dead drunk just now?”

“You were wrong?” Nino rolls over. He looks a bit pale and a little wobbly, but his eyes is open—a bit cloudy, but it’s passable. “I’m in. Add truth or dare, I might be able to sit myself up.”

“You are just pathetic,” Aiba says, “we’re going for spin the bottle so you could just lounge down like you’re not drunk when you actually already are.”

“Words.”

“Why not then.” Jun stands up, getting to the kitchen to get a small bottle from the few they have set aside before. “Some snacks to get along with it then?”

“I’ll help,” Ohno says.

“I’ll clear the space,” Sho says, signalling to Aiba to help him move the table. “Give me a hand here.”

They clear the living room, leaving Nino in horizontal position, and make a circle.

“How about the rule?”

“Kiss?”

“You wish, Nino,” Sho says. “No one is kissing anyone tonight on the game. Well, you can kiss anyone if you want, but not on this game. Why am I talking all diluted, I can’t even understand what I’m saying.”

“You’re getting drunk,” Ohno says. “Here, have some more beer.”

Sho is torn between glaring at Ohno for stating the obvious and grateful since now he can have another beer without having to fetch it to the kitchen.

“Whoever gets the mouth of the bottle should tell one bad thing about the bottom of the bottle, and the butt then has to reply with one good thing about the mouth.”

“There were so many sexual things you’ve just said right now.”

“Gutter mind! I was talking about the bottle.”

“So was I, stupid.”

Jun hands the bottle to Aiba. “Who wants to start first?”

“I do.”

At that point no one is questioning the other’s action; same goes with Aiba who then hands the bottle to Sho.

Everyone will have his turn after all.

“First spin!”


	13. 12: Of Watching Last Episode Together

“You know the place right?”

“I do,” Sho says, excitedly. Ohno has been hinting around on getting a new bag and he’s been hinting right back that he wanted to join Ohno on the bag hunt.

“I don’t frequent the place but I kind of stalked the website,” Ohno shyly admits. “They are really quick in updating their stocks and it’s always a treat to see their new arrivals list.”

Sho can see the shine in Ohno’s eyes. Who would’ve thought that all he needed was just a goddamn website? And since he had done his research, he could smoothly turn the conversation around. “I know! I love the way they keep the option of no shopping bag, and then we could just click on and on and turn the shop, metaphorically, upside down.”

Ohno beams at Sho’s response.

Both turns around to find Nino standing not far from them, sending questioning glance. “You guys are such loser old men. Be quick in picking up whatever you wanted to pick up, please.”

.

“You live in such a great place.”

Jun pours the curry on to the rice; they agreed on curry rice—Aiba had even suggested on getting delivery. But it’s just some rice and roux, something that was very easy to prepare. It’s not as much as a hassle. He’s the host after all, it’s only polite to treat your guests—no matter how ungrateful they are with something.

“Ninomiya, do you need anything?”

“From you?”

“From the kitchen,” unwavered, Jun keeps on pouring more spoons of curry to the plates of rice he had readied before.

“Mhmm, not really.”

“Then stop throwing empty compliments and get these on to the living room.”

Nino pouts for a while, not happy with how Jun was unaffected by his charm. “I hate you.”

“I hate you too,” Jun says. “Now bring these two first. It’s ready.”

Jun gives him a wide grin, and now it’s Nino’s turn to flush with embarrassment. Nino steps forward to the counter, getting the plates, eyebrows still crossed, but there’s a hint of smile somewhere.

.

They started the party with a sour mood, turning to some stupid game and then teary eye watching several of the older episodes. Most of time they are commenting on how Jun is improving in front of camera, the little tidbit that only they know since they were there during the shoots and what everyone else was doing during the time of the shot.

“You think this is an easy angle to work with,” Nino says, pride evident on his tone as they watched their first episode. “Think again.”

Jun snorts. “Oh, you just want to brag!”

.

“This party was the best idea ever.” Aiba raises his beer bottle. “You guys, you guys should know that you are the best team I have ever worked with!

“You only worked with like three teams, shut up,” Sho says. He’s a bit hostile now that he’s pleasantly drunk. “I know all about you. I’ve done my research.

“It still counts.” Aiba smiles nonetheless. All the same he’s also brightening up, even more so that he’s usual self, making all the hostility Sho’s thrown at him at every sentence bounces back and explodes in sparkles.

.

“You know, we wouldn’t able to pull this one off without you, Sho-chan.”

Sho smiles drunkenly, eyes droopy and smile loopy. “It was one of the most satisfying research I have ever done. Ever.”

“Even your stellar thesis couldn’t compare?” Jun says.

“Nah, that was an eye rolling mess. This was way much better.”

“Sometimes I worry about you, Sho-kun. I really do.”

“Yeah.” Sho grins, getting another can open and set up a solo toast. “I do to. All the time.”

.

“Matsujun was having way too much fun in all this.”

Jun grins on that pinpointed statement of Ohno. “Well, I had great time. It was fun to mess around with Koda-kun. He was just such a dork with that cute costume.”

“Now that’s something that I didn’t expect to come out of your mouth.”

“What? Cute?”

“No, dork,” Nino says. “Considering that you are a dork yourself. I don’t think that dork is eligible to say dork?”

Sho laughs so hard on that.

“And a nerd can’t really laugh at a dork.”

“What you said didn’t make any sense at all, Nino,” Ohno pipes in. “But it’s funny nonetheless.”

“You should’ve thought about what you said before you say so.”

“What was that?”

“That’s the alcohol talking.”

“I thought you were dead drunk like an hour ago.”

“I thought I was too. But I’m sharper enough. I can even sit on a jeep right now and do a whole panoramic shot perfectly, thank you very much.”

“That’s such a lie. You can’t even hold a small digital camera and take a decent photo of us all.”

“I sure can.” Nino huffed in irritation, cheeks red and beer breath. “If only you have one handy right now, I’m so going to prove that you’re wrong.”

“I don’t have mine right now.”

“Jun?”

“I think I left mine somewhere in the office. You remember the last time I brought it over because I wanted to take pictures during that shoot, and I gave it to you for keeping. I haven’t gotten around to bring it back.”

“I have mine at my bag,” Ohno says. “If only I can find my bag.”

“If only you can stand straight and try to locate your bag.”

“It’s somewhere around the kitchen and Matsujun’s kitchen is so far away, I don’t really want to make move right now.”

“Why are your bag in my kitchen?”

“Because that’s where I put it.”

“Where in my kitchen exactly?”

“Not near the stove. Don’t worry, Matsujun.”

“Why are we having this conversation? Where were we with topics before? Weren’t we talking about mascots few minutes ago?”

“Were we? I don’t even remember. I’m busy staring at the clock. 2 AM is way too long, the clock is not ticking, I guess. It keeps on showing 1 AM since forever.”

“It’s a digital clock, it doesn’t tick.”

“That’s a very smart way to look at things, Sho-chan, but I’m staring at it anyway.”

Sho laughs at Aiba’s dismissal.

.  
They are talking nonsense, lounging on Jun’s living room. It was neat and cold when they came the first time—now that they’ve been taking their place around, it’s warmer, as warm as it could get, reeked of beer (and cigarette?), and cozy. No one wants to move or even go as much as getting another cold beer. It’s nice.

“Why do they put commercial program before ours? That’s just mean. You don’t put commercial program before an inspiring travel program!”

“Which is not something you should say.”

“What? The inspiring bits?

“No, the travel bits.”

“We did travel?”

“What we did was not travel, it was just driving around. You need to do a more extensive journey to consider yourself travelling. In a way, we basically were going around places. That’s not travelling.”

“Sho-kun has released his official statement.”

“That wasn’t what I mean!”

“I know. But it’s official anyway?”

Jun adds more fuel to the conversation. Well, he was the one who had to hear the rant in the beginning and since Sho’s being very open—and drunk now, why the hell not bringing it all out of the hood. “He has been saying that since the first episode.”

“Really now?”

“This is not a travel program,” Jun says, imitating Sho’s high voice in a very exact manner. “I tell you about travel program! Then he will proceed on telling you how travel program was supposed to be. It’ll take days to even complete the explanation. Seriously I don’t know why I keep up with him.”

“Matsujun, that’s just mean,” Sho says, pouting but his eyes were shining. “It didn't take days to explain. Just few dinners and a breakfast. That should cover it.”

Aiba laughs out loud while Nino is rolling on the floor to hide his mocking face on a pillow nearby with a loud sigh.

“I’d hear that.”

Jun turns to Ohno seeing the same dreamy expression. In slow motion, when Sho turns to Ohno to confirm the statement, when Ohno’s face turn even brighter with a shy smile, when Sho smiles in return and there are practically hearts halos bursting out of their smiles, he groans in misery. “Why do I have to witness this? Just why?”

Aiba and Nino just laugh louder.

“If you two continue this into a kiss, I’m going to kick your ass right here right now.”

“Mind the spanking, Matsujun,” Ohno says, coyly staring into Jun with a smirk. “I don’t think Sho’s into that.”

“God. You both are helpless,” Jun scolds them. “And before you say ‘helplessly in love’, please spare us the cheese.”

.

“You guys, they are selling a good food processor.”

No one lets out a comment as the television proceeds on showing how a blender could turn into a blender.

“That’s just a blender, Matsujun. Stop being so excited.”

“It’s more than just a blender. Look, they even offer a slashing ability.”

“I never thought that spending the night together like this brought us into such a deep involvement of each other’s deepest secret.”

“I think that’s not Matsujun’s deepest secret. There are bound to be another things. Way deeper, and way dirtier.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Nino,” Aiba says. “Next time, perhaps we should crash on your place and do a thorough search on every nook and cranny of your place.”

“You’d want that, wouldn’t you? Pervert!”

“I bet you have stashes of ridiculous things everywhere.”

“Or just truckloads of games related stuff.”

“It’s not stuff, it’s paraphernalia.”

“Please don’t make me spell that word right now.”

“Sho-chan, you’re still alive!”

“That’s mean,” Sho says, lifting his face from the pillow, all bloated up cutely and droopy. “Everyone’s mean to me tonight. What did I do to deserve this?”

“Ohno, go cuddle him before there are tears shed tonight. We don’t need to get all blubbery. The episode hasn’t even started yet.”

“Are we planning to get all blubbery during the episode then?” Jun ask, just to be sure. He would need to prepare some tissues then.

“That’d be great,” Aiba says.

“Yeah, we all can get sentimental even if the sentiment hasn’t even formed yet.”

“Or wait a bit. It’s just another 40 minutes, you know. We will be sentimental when time comes.”

“I don’t know if I can keep staying up till later.”

“Sho-chan, give them man a boost or something.”

Sho looks lost, staring at Ohno while trying to search for something to offer as a boost. “I have few bars of dark chocolate if you want.”

The rest three laughs their ass off at that statement.

“This is such an elementary level conversation. I can’t get more amused.”

.

“It’s starting!”

“No, it’s not. It’s not!”

“It is.”

“Why are we this excited?”

The screen changes to the preview of what’s next to come. The clock on the right corner of the screen shows 2:42. Few commercials coming after one another, mostly government and social ones, as they showed some lame promotion about certain places, tourist places that they were campaigning.

“I actually shot that commercial.”

“The one on the mountain park?”

“Yeah, and they didn’t even use the best shots. It’s such a waste of time and energy, really.”

“Yet you were paid for that. I don’t see why you’re complaining.”

“They paid me enough, not big but enough. They should have taken the footage to the next level though, I did all I can but they didn’t do anything with it. You can’t make a good program in that attitude.”

“Please spare us bits of ‘when I was in Tokyo’ story right now. The episode is on in a minute or so. There’s no time.”

“I’ll tell it another time, then.” Nino says, huffing, a little bit disappointed that he couldn’t, one, tell his storys, and two, that Aiba knows he’s going to end up telling the same story over and over again. It’s too much sometimes.

.

“What’s that?” Jun nearly shout to the screen.

The others are having the same confused expression. In silence they watched the opening credit. And Jun is not quite happy to see the running preview. He had expectation and the preview pretty much ruined his.

He kept on staring the screen, hearing Ohno humming in question and Aiba having the same confusion as him.

“I thought it was going to be the kimono episode. I checked. It was the kimono episode. Sho-kun, you did check right?

“I did. Twice,” Sho says, equally confused. He turns to Aiba, “You said it was the kimono episode, right?”

“Yeah. That was on my schedule,” Aiba says.

The title on the screen: MASCOT, WITH LOVE!

He continues. “But apparently, they thought differently.”

“I always hate ‘they’. It generalizes a lot of people, bad people, involved in making the final decision and we are just chess piece in this whole world of chess board.”

“I don’t even know why you are including a chess metaphor.”

“I don’t play chess.”

“I think none of us does.”

.

“Still, what happened to the kimono episode? I thought it’s going to be that one. It is a great episode. I just know it. After all the beautiful kimono I had to wear. This episode—“

“—is hilarious.” Aiba cuts Jun and gives him a smirk. “It’s going to be good. A great one! I was there during editing we couldn’t stop laughing.”

“Perhaps they forgot to tell us that there was a switch. They sometimes do that. No heart feelings.”

“This probably goes first because they haven’t finished the kimono. Those editing guys are sleazy people, I must say.

“I hate this already. The credit hasn’t even started to roll!”

“It’s going to be fun, Matsujun.”

“Yeah, this was a good episode,” Ohno says, scooting closer to the screen and smiling over a close up of Jun. “They didn’t spare much on your CU though. That’s nice to see.”

“You guys, it’s about to start. Should we stop talking and watch this with full focus?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“Yeah. Comment away people, we are in for some good stuff.”

Jun cannot help to pout. “You guys are just going to mock me to infinity.”

“We mock with love, Matsujun. No worries. It’s for good cause, it’s for entertainment.”

“I’ve never thought that this was a comedy shot, but this episode is something else for sure.”

“That’s something coming out of your mouth, Ohno,” Nino says.

“Yeah, Matsujun was irresistible on this one.”

The veiled and direct compliments somehow send him smiling, flush coming up on his check.


	14. 13: Of Not Believing that This is Another Beginning

“Do not touch my film collection, Aiba-chan!”

Startled by Jun’s coming back to the living room, Aiba takes a step back from the tall shelves and turns with an innocent look. “I wasn’t touching anything.”

“But you’re thinking of touching anything.” Jun puts down the plate he carries, aims a silent order to Nino to get the last one—and preferably the other two who is bonding over bag website back on the corner of the kitchen.

Nino rolls his eyes but goes anyway to the kitchen and complies.

“I swear I didn’t touch anything.”

“I know.”

“You have such extensive collection. You can almost rival mine.”

“Wait till you see Sho-kun’s. These are nothing compared to his.”

“What?” Aiba raises his eyebrows in question. “Sho-kun? I can’t believe it.”

“Believe what?” Ohno says, coming in behind Nino with the plate on his hand and Sho tailing him.

“Sho-kun,” Aiba says, ignoring Ohno’s question. “Matsujun said you have extensive collection.”

“Of?”

“Of? You have more than one collection? Like many things?”

“Well, I have several,” Sho answers, trying to avoid the whole conversation turning into a snowball of question. He aims his gaze at Jun, silently asking for help, or anything to divert the attention. Soon, perhaps Aiba is going to be even more curious for his own good. That doesn’t end well usually.

“Aiba-chan, let’s not drill him with question tonight. We have our dinner ready here.”

Aiba senses the discomfort and with that he lets the topic go—perhaps later, when Sho’s loose and drunk he could get more information but for now, they are going to enjoy the night. “Okay, sorry, sorry. Let’s eat then. Everyone’s here?”

“Yup.”

“How should we do this?”

“Mhmm, sitting down? Unless you’re eating curry rice standing.”

“Nino.”

“You asked.”

“And you answered. Stupidly.”

“You asked stupid question. It only warrants stupid answer.”

Sho observes the two with a smile, before turning to Jun to shrugs. “I don’t know what I find as entertainment before I met this two.”

“They can be 12 sometimes. That’s all.”

Aiba and Nino turn at the same time, sending identical pouts to Jun and Sho who laughs over the timing.

“They are 12, I believe.” Ohno says, and with that they all laugh.

.

“This is exceptional.”

“It’s just curry rice,” Jun says, taking another spoon of the roux. “But I can say that this is a very well done curry rice.”

“I wish that it’s even more spicier, but it’s all spicier all together, and I didn’t make any sense, this curry is so good, I think I’m going to lap the plate when I’m done with this.”

Ohno hums in pleasure.

“That’s obscene, Oh-chan. Please control you face.”

Ohno hums in pleasure. Louder.

“Very good,” Nino says. He’s absorbed with the food, a scenery rarely scene. “Very good, Matsujun.”

“And that’s a very high compliment coming from you, Ninomiya. Thank you.”

“I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t mean it.”

“I know,” Jun says, still savouring the roux. “That’s why I said thank you.”

“I don’t know how you guys do it,” Aiba says, “but I’m not wasting this delicious curry over talking”

“You just did.”

“I know, I’m shutting up right now.”

“You better.”

Silence comes just a while before Sho finishes his plate and looking up to jun to ask for seconds.

“It’s on the pan,” Jun says, without giving him a glance. “And please, don’t take off your shirt while you’re in the kitchen.”

“Taking off his shirt?”

“Yeah, Sho and curry is always mar with the shirt incident.”

“Shirt incident? What was that?”

“Matsujun, do not dare to start talking about that.”

“I thought you’re going to go to the kitchen to grab a second.”

“I am, “ Sho says, standing up and throwing a threatening glance. “Everyone is better to stay not informed when I’m back.”

“Yeah right.”

Sho walks to the kitchen and it’s a kind of surprising that it was Ohno who asks. “What was the shirt incident all about?”

Jun laughs all out, seeing Ohno’s serious expression. But when his laughter dies down, he could only see three curious expressions one more than the other two; he was about to go into another laughing fit when Sho comes back to the living room with a pout.

“You traitor,” Sho says, nothing else but sitting back on his chair, grumbling. “Macchan, you are so not cool.”

Aiba perks up at the new word. “Macchan?”

“Sho-kun, you are even more terrible. Fucking traitor.”

“Serves you right.”

“Macchan?”

Nino was the first one to roll on the floor, laughing like a loon.

.

“Were we supposed to be down, lamenting over the end of the show and just be miserable?”

“Together.”

“Of course, it’d be utterly miserable to be miserable alone. Like the epitome of miserable-ness.”

“That’s not even a word,” Sho corrects him. “At least try to talk like a sober person, Nino.”

“I am not drunk,” Nino says. Hiccups escape his mouth and everyone around knows that he was too drunk for his own good. “I am not.”

Ohno gives him a pat on the shoulder, being the one who sits the nearest. It doesn’t really implying him giving Nino any useful support but at least it’s a nice gesture.

“I’m not lamenting. Not now, not ever.” Jun sips his cold beer slowly; he’s glad that they haven’t settled on going strong booze today. at least beer will give the impression that they are just finishing a long day, trying to get their wind back (or whatever that is) and just lounge at their favourite bar.

They do not have to worry about the non-existence next episode, the need to wake up ungodly early only to get some shoot done over the beach, and do many things that they have been doing together for the last three months.

Jun had wanted to suggest that they should have another viewing party; he could host them again at their house. Just like the last time. It didn’t end up as disastrous as he originally thought; they were pretty civil considering—well, what did Jun expect in the first place? Some wild happenings during their night, Nino went insane and decided to do karaoke naked, Aiba trying to unmade his bed, or worse, doing backflips on his bed, Ohno doing the unspeakable thing to his neat bathroom, or even go as far as abusing his hair products? Or Sho, just being his usual jerk self, calling him Macchan, triggering an eye rolling chain reaction of more tease and ribbing.

It was probably the best dinner party he had ever arranged; ending with all five of them sharing the living room and curling into sleep to the next morning. Jun couldn’t be happier.

And now that they are on their bar (technically it’s something that they are not going to admit, the bar was something they felt as a place where they could go on and on and just be together), lounging on the booth, with their own drinks—and since everyone wants to savour the feeling of them being together over beers at the end of the day just like Jun.

“It was a great experience. One of the greatest.” Jun continues. “I couldn't be more thankful to you guys.”

Nino was about to say more, but he closes his eyes and averts his gaze. Sho could swear that he could see Nino’s trying to hide his tears, but he’s on too much beer today, he couldn’t really tell.

Ohno nods in agreement. “It was.”

“You just need to get sentimental about this, right?”

Sho smiles at that. “Yes.”

“You guys are helpless,” Nino comments this time. His gaze is fixed on his glass.

“We might as well be.”

“Helpless.”

“Aren’t we going to get something to eat after this?” Sho is just curious. “I’m kind of hungry.”

“But we were going to celebrate here, Sho-chan?”

“Well, yes. But I’m hungry and they offer nothing but finger food and snacks here.”

“You just had a large serving of yakiniku not three hours ago, Sho-kun, I don’t think you can handle more food at the moment.”

“It’s not like I’m asking you guys to get more steak. I’m okay with some ramen or soba.”

“Haven’t you ever told him that it’s practically the same, calories wise?”

“Why are we talking about calories? At this time of day? I thought we were going to have a good time.”

“Shut up, Nino!”

.

“Are we going to start bar hopping soon?” Ohno asks. He might look sleepy but he’s far from incoherent. “I thought it’s time already for us to move to the next place, wherever it might be.”

“Ohno-kun, you have such a great idea sometimes,” Jun says, wrapping his hand alongside Ohno’s shoulder. “Let’s settle the bill here and go to our next.”

“God. Is this going to last all night?”

“Why you asked? Scared? Need to get home right now? Have work to do?”

“Jun.” Less than a warning, Sho’s voice comes as a soothing melody. Yet. Jun is all

“You are scared. You need to get home right now because you want nothing more than curling yourself into a ball and not facing the word. You need to work,” Jun barrels on, voice higher and with tears shining on the corner of his eyes. “The problem is, you don’t have anything you can work on, anything you feel worth enough for keeping, anything that makes you happy and waking up in the morning turns a little bit easier. Nothing.”

“Jun.”

Sho and Aiba step forward, only to get slapped away by Jun.

He continues, voice smaller. “It hurts.”

It was Nino who bumped into Jun, surprising him with a sudden hug.

Aiba and Sho could only exchange glance, seeing that Nino has latched himself against Jun. Ohno watches in silence as he too takes steps forward. When Jun’s arms wrapping Nino tight right back, Ohno spread his arm, gathering Aiba and Sho on both ends.

They end up in a messy hug, warmth and tears were shared and shed; they start this together and they will end this together.

.

“I will never forget you guys,” Jun says, eyes shining.

The others are trying to form their words but Nino is ahead of them. “You’d better not.”


	15. おまけ: In Token of Appreciating Mascot

His phone rings and Jun frowns to see ‘Aiba’ name on the ID.

“Hello?”

“Matsujun. Am I interrupting you in something?”

“No, not really. I’m on my way home actually. Is there something you need?”

“Well,” Aiba sounds nervous through the line, “I have some questions. I’ve checked them with Sho but I also want to ask for your opinion.

“Okay. What are they?” Jun says. It’s work related then. He walks forward until he finds a small concrete bench near the park before the station. He takes a seat, keeping the phone on his ear, setting aside his bags.

“So, I have a few checklist here, I was hoping I could have a glimpse of how we’re going to do few of the future episodes.”

“Okay.”

“This is all still in planning stage, and because you’re the one who’s going to go through most of this I just want to check with you. Can you ride bicycle?”

“Huh?” The question throws him off but Jun can hear the seriousness in Aiba’s tone. “I can.”

“Good to know. I worked with a talent before, we were supposed to—“ Aiba stops, realizing his ranting. “That’s not important though. Then, what do you feel about surfing?”

“Are we going to the beach? We just came back from one.”

“Just a question. So?”

“I tried surfing once or twice, but it was a very long time ago. I cannot afford sunburn right now so it was out of the question.”

“I see.”

Jun can hear paper ruffles and Aiba is probably taking a note.

“How about sports? Basketball? Baseball?”

“Soccer,” Jun says. “I did play baseball when I was in high school but it’s soccer now.”

“I see.” This time Aiba sounds a little bit disappointed.

“Was that not okay?”

“No, no. I just. Well, never mind. I’m sorry for that. I have few more questions.”

“Okay.”

“You good with heights?”

“Heights? Do you mean tall places?”

“Yeah. I have some ideas of going airborne. If I am able to get the permission that is. One of the tourist attractions over the Mountain Yama is the waterfall bungee jumping. If you have no problem with that, I’ll do my best to work that into the program. Although it would beat the purpose if you are not comfortable with that.

Jun doesn’t actually think that Aiba would go this far as a program director. He knows that Aiba, the station has been talking with Sho and his agency, but not to this detailed extend. “I guess it’s fine.”

“Really?”

“I mean, I never actually give it a test or not. But I am not having trouble, or anything complicated whenever I take on some ride at the amusement park.”

“Nice. So perhaps we can work that in. Everyone will complain about the complications but it’d be worth it.”

Jun only nods in silence.

“Well, that was what I wanted to ask the most,” Aiba says, laughs on his voice.

“The surfing and other questions was a way to deflect the focus?”

“Matsujun, sometimes you are too smart!”

Jun laughs, he knows Aiba is probably still pulling on an overtime on his ratty chair over his cubible, legs too long to not be folded under his desk awkwardly.

“That’s all then.”

“Aiba-chan, it’s nearly 10PM.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Don’t work too hard.”

Aiba doesn’t say anything but he could see the man smiling over his advice.

“If that’s all, I need to get home.”

“Yeah, that’s all. Thank you for the time. I am going to wrap all this and head home too. Good night Matsujun.”

“G’night. I’ll see you.”

“I’ll see you. Bye.”

.

Jun’s face appears on the corner of the camera; Nino’s refusing to pan back to Jun’s full face and Aiba’s laugh is heard on the background.

The workshop is very small this time, the smallest of the ones they’ve visited so far. And it’s hard with all the big heads and loose costume of mascots.

Jun visibly gapes at the scenery, eyes looking wildly around in awe. The camera goes on the back of his shoulder with Nino’s following his line of sight perfectly. “This is very impressive.”

“Thank you,” Keita-kun replies in a small voice. The young guy was the one Ohno contacted and they’ve been talking before the shoot. Jun apparently scared him a bit, he keeps on being visibly nervous and has not warming up yet. (of course, Jun could be intimidating at times; it’d be bad if it’s keep on happening, but in this case it’s kind of cute).

Jun turns and sees the nervous guy, smiling timidly. It’d be bad for the program, he knows, but he needs to trudge on.

“I love mascot actually,” Jun says, finger patting one of the costume lying on the table. “I find them very cute.”

“You do?” Keita-kun asks in disbelief. He has thought that Jun wouldn’t care, that mascot is just something not interesting, that perhaps it was a waste of taking the offer for the program to film here.

“I do,” Jun turns, aiming his best smile toward the nervous guy. “I really do. Now, how about we hear a bit more from you, about this impressive workshop and start from there.”

Charmed, Keita-kun nods. He sputters when he tries to direct Jun toward the corner of the room where his sewing machine is located. “If I can have you follow me right there—“

“After you,” Jun finishes the sentence for him.

Keita-kun walks first toward the corner, and leaving Jun with Nino behind him. Jun makes a turn toward the camera, face so close, and grins. “Let’s see what he has.”

Nino sighs audibly, and Jun could hear his small voice. “Charmer.”

The grin only intensifies into a goofy one.


End file.
